抄録
The olfactory epithelium of patients with anosmia, which was assumed to be caused by chronic sinusitis, was examined immunohistochemically. Specimens were obtained from three patients and treated by the usual PAP method. Neuron-specific enolase immunoreactivity was found in the dendrite and perikarya of olfactory receptor cells in two patients. In these cases, it was assumed that the function of olfactory receptor cells was remnant. In the other case, no reactivity could be found in the epithelium. Thus it was assumed that there was no residue of functional receptor cells and that the degeneration of the olfactory epithelium was due to a cause other than chronic sinusitis. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the immunohistochemical method for diagnosis and prognosis of olfactory disturbance.
