Some Remarks About the Olfactory Nerve from the Surgical Point of View

Abstract

The olfactory nerve, together with the smell-brain, is an important factor in the history of the development of the vertebrale animals. The human brain has evolved at the expense of the smell-brain, which for the human being is of almost no importance. Also, in neurosurgery the olfactory nerve is of no vital importance. It gains significance only because it is the first of the cranial nerves, and also quite vulnerable. But apart from those cases where one has to operate because of the olfactory nerve (meningioma of the olfactory region or rhinoliquorrhea through the lamina cribriformis) it rather hinders the surgeon who operates transfrontally. This is the reason why many surgeons think that if the local situation during surgery makes it necessary, the first cranial nerve may be easily sectioned. In fact, nowadays a perfect sense of smell is not as important for the human being as it had been for his vertebrates, where it was vital. In many cases of one-sided anosmia the patients had not even been aware of it and in those cases where it was known, it was not perceived as a major disadvantage. Reduced ability of the sense of smell usually is not experienced as a serious handicap. Accordingly, section of the olfactory nerve in the course of operation is even justified if it is done only to gain a better survey of the operating field or access to it.