Cristóbal Langdon1,2, José María Guilemany1,2, Meritxell Valls1, Isam Alobid1,2, Joan Bartra3,4, Ignacio Dávila5, Alfonso Del Cuvillo6, Marta Ferrer4,7, Ignacio Jáuregui8, Javier Montoro9, Joaquín Sastre10, Antonio Valero2,3, Joaquim Mullol1,2. 1. Unitat de Rinologia i Clínica de l'Olfacte, Servei d'Otorinolaringologia, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain. 2. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Spain. 3. Unitat d'Al.lèrgia, Servei de Pneumologia i Al.lèrgia Respiratòria, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 4. Red de Investigación de Reacciones Adversas a Alergenos y Fármacos (RIRAAF), Barcelona, Spain. 5. Servicio de Inmunoalergia, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain. 6. Unidad de Rinitis y Asma, UGC ORL, Hospital de Jerez, Cádiz, Spain. 7. Departamento de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. 8. Servicio de Alergología, Hospital de Basurto, Bilbao, Spain. 9. Facultad de Medicina, Hospital Universitario Arnau de Vilanova, Universidad Católica de Valencia 'San Vicente Mártir', Valencia, Spain. 10. Servicio de Alergia, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The objective of the OLFAPEDRIAL study was to assess the olfactory dysfunction in allergic paediatric population, which has been scarcely studied. METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional and multicentre study evaluated the sense of smell in untreated allergic rhinitis (AR) paediatric patients aged 6-12 years. RESULTS: Forty-four per cent (551 of 1260) of children with AR reported smell dysfunction, with both loss of smell frequency (52.1%, p < 0.001) and intensity (0.75 ± 0.84, p < 0.0001) being more frequent in patients with persistent than intermittent AR (38.0% and 0.51 ± 0.73, respectively). In addition, both loss of smell frequency and intensity increased according to disease severity (m-ARIA classification) but always being significantly higher in persistent (p < 0.0001) than in intermittent AR. CONCLUSIONS: Children with allergic rhinitis present a mild-moderate loss of smell frequency and intensity which is clearly related to the disease duration and severity. The loss of smell can be considered, as in adults, a clinical marker of disease severity.
BACKGROUND: The objective of the OLFAPEDRIAL study was to assess the olfactory dysfunction in allergic paediatric population, which has been scarcely studied. METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional and multicentre study evaluated the sense of smell in untreated allergic rhinitis (AR) paediatric patients aged 6-12 years. RESULTS: Forty-four per cent (551 of 1260) of children with AR reported smell dysfunction, with both loss of smell frequency (52.1%, p < 0.001) and intensity (0.75 ± 0.84, p < 0.0001) being more frequent in patients with persistent than intermittent AR (38.0% and 0.51 ± 0.73, respectively). In addition, both loss of smell frequency and intensity increased according to disease severity (m-ARIA classification) but always being significantly higher in persistent (p < 0.0001) than in intermittent AR. CONCLUSIONS:Children with allergic rhinitis present a mild-moderate loss of smell frequency and intensity which is clearly related to the disease duration and severity. The loss of smell can be considered, as in adults, a clinical marker of disease severity.