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Chemosensory function in Wegener’s granulomatosis: a preliminary report

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

Abstract

Despite the fact that Wegener’s granulomatosis affects the nasal and paranasal cavities and the cranial nerves regularly, chemosensory impairments have not been reported. The objective of this study is to test the three chemosensory systems, olfaction, taste, and intranasal trigeminal function in Wegener disease patients. We tested olfactory, gustatory, and intranasal trigeminal function in nine patients (5 women, 4 men, mean age 57 years) with confirmed Wegener’s granulomatosis. Olfaction was tested with the Sniffin’Sticks, gustatory function with the “Taste strips” and intranasal trigeminal function with a lateralization task. One patient had anosmia (11%), four patients had hyposmia (44%) and four patients were normosmic (45%). Gustatory testing function showed pathological taste strip results in five patients (55%) and normal results in three patients (33%). One patient did not undergo taste testing. Intranasal trigeminal function was lowered in five patients (56%) and normal in four patients (44%). Neither previous nasal surgery status nor endoscopic status was associated to a higher frequency in pathological scores for any of the three chemical senses. In conclusion, these preliminary results suggest a consistent affection in chemosensory functions in Wegener’s granulomatosis patients.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by a Grant of the Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research (SSMBS grant no. PASMA-119579/1) to BNL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smell and Taste Consultation Service, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany

    Önder Göktas & Franca Fleiner

  2. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Helene Cao Van, Jean-Silvain Lacroix & Basile Nicolas Landis

  3. Unité de Rhinologie-Olfactologie, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Geneva Neuroscience Center, University of Geneva Medical School, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland

    Basile Nicolas Landis

Authors
  1. Önder Göktas
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  2. Helene Cao Van
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  3. Franca Fleiner
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  4. Jean-Silvain Lacroix
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  5. Basile Nicolas Landis
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Correspondence to Basile Nicolas Landis.

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Göktas, Ö., Cao Van, H., Fleiner, F. et al. Chemosensory function in Wegener’s granulomatosis: a preliminary report. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 267, 1089–1093 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-009-1184-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-009-1184-4

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