Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2022 Feb;65(2):107-111. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2021.00339.

The Sniffing Bead System as a Useful Diagnostic Tool for Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19

• Min HJ

• KMID: 2527240
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2021.00339

Abstract

We present a sniffing bead system used to diagnose olfactory dysfunction in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. A 25-year-old male presented with the loss of olfaction one week after he was diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). He had no other symptoms such as fever or myalgia but only showed an absence of respiratory distress. Nasal endoscopy and paranasal sinus CT showed that the patient had no bilateral sinus diseases; cranial nerve MRI showed no abnormal signal intensity or enhancement. A sniffing bead system was applied using 2-phenylethyl alcohol for the objective assessment of olfactory dysfunction to confirm the presence of anosmia. Anosmia was diagnosed early by objective evaluation using a sniffing bead system and early intervention with olfactory training. This case report suggests that a verified, one-off system for objective measurement of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 with olfactory training in patients could facilitate the recovery of olfactory function.

Keyword

COVID-19; Diagnosis; Olfactory dysfunction