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Olfactory function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis study

  • Rhinology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This meta-analysis study was designed to analyze the olfactory function in obstructive sleep apnea patients (OSA).

Methods

A comprehensive review of the English language literature regarding OSA patients and olfactory function/dysfunction was performed. The papers assessing olfactory dysfunction with Sniffin’ Sticks test were taken into consideration.

Results

A total of 420 OSA patients were judged eligible for the study. The average TDI score was found to be 24.3 ± 5.6. The olfactory identification (OD), the olfactory discrimination (OD), and the olfactory threshold (OT) average values were calculated resulting 9.9 ± 2.1, 9.8 ± 1.5, and 5.3 ± 2, respectively. There were 161 healthy control subjects in this meta-analysis. The average TDI of the control group was 30.7 ± 6.0 showing a statistical difference with the group of OSA patients (p = 0.03).

A linear correlation between Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI) increase and TDI decrease (R2 = 0.1, p = 0.05) was detected. Finally, the average values of TDI of 151 patients classified as mild–moderate OSA and 159 patients considered as severe OSA were calculated. The difference between these two groups resulted not statistically significant (p = 0.3).

Conclusion

The comparison between OSA patients and healthy subjects using Sniffin’ Sticks test showed lower values of the various olfactory parameters. Although a linear correlation between AHI increase and olfactory dysfunction was observed, no statistical difference between mild–moderate and severe OSA patients in terms of the severity of olfactory dysfunction could be proved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Otolaryngology, Head-Neck and Oral Surgery Unit, Department of Head-Neck Surgery, Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital, Via Carlo Forlanini, 34, 47121, Forlì, Italy

    Giannicola Iannella, Giuseppe Meccariello, Giovanni Cammaroto, Riccardo Gobbi & Elisabetta Firinu

  2. Department of ‘Organi di Senso’, University “Sapienza”, Viale dell’Università, 33, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Giannicola Iannella, Giuseppe Magliulo, Annalisa Pace, Giampiero Gulotta, Irene Claudia Visconti, Carmen Solito & Claudio Vicini

  3. ENT Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 78, 95125, Catania, Italy

    Antonino Maniaci, Salvatore Cocuzza, Milena Di Luca, Ignazio La Mantia & Calogero Grillo

  4. Department of Emergency, Burn Center, Bufalini Hospital, Azienda USL Della Romagna, viale Giovanni Ghirotti, 286, 47521, Cesena, Italy

    Rossella Sgarzani

  5. Intensive Care Unit, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, AUSL of Romagna, Via Carlo Forlanini, 34, 47121, Forlì, Italy

    Ruggero Massimo Corso

  6. Department ENT and Audiology, University of Ferrara, Via Savonarola, 9, 44121, Ferrara, Italy

    Stefano Pelucchi, Giulia Bianchi, Michela Melegatti & Claudio Vicini

  7. Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Pietro Abita

Authors
  1. Giannicola Iannella
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  2. Giuseppe Magliulo
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Correspondence to Giannicola Iannella.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on sleep apnea syndrome Guest Editors: Manuele Casale, Rinaldi Vittorio.

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Iannella, G., Magliulo, G., Maniaci, A. et al. Olfactory function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 278, 883–891 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-06316-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-06316-w

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