Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2011 May;54(5):360-363. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2011.54.5.360.

A Case of Post-Traumatic Olfactory Disorder Presenting Negative Results of Schneider Test due to Trigeminal Nerve Injury

• Ju YH
• Park DU
• Kim ST
• Kang IG

• KMID: 1446509
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2011.54.5.360

Abstract

There has been a considerable increase in the number of patients with olfactory disorder due to head and facial injuries. Conventional olfactory function evaluation methods, such as T&T olfactometer, the Schneider test and the Alinamin test have been widely used in clinical practice. Among these, the Schneider test can determine whether the patient is a malingerer. A woman who sustained head and facial injuries visited our department with the chief complaint of anosmia. The patient underwent conventional olfactory function tests, including T&T olfactometer and the Schneider test. T&T olfactometer revealed olfactory loss, but the Schneider test did not. Thus, she was diagnosed with malingering. However, her diagnosis of olfactory disorder and concurrent trigeminal nerve injury was made definite during the follow-up period. We herein report a 30-year-old female patient with olfactory disorder who was misdiagnosed with olfactory malingering based on the negative result of the Schneider test. A brief review of the literature has been included.

Keyword

Olfactory disorder; Trigeminal nerve injury; Olfactory function evaluation; Head injury; Facial injury

MeSH Terms

Adult
Craniocerebral Trauma
Facial Injuries
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Head
Humans
Malingering
Olfaction Disorders
Thiamine
Trigeminal Nerve
Trigeminal Nerve Injuries
Thiamine