373 Alteration of Smell in Patients with Persistent Allergic Rhinitis

BACKGROUND: A high percentage of patients with moderate-severe persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) also show symptoms related to impaired smell (21–23%).Olfactory dysfunction can have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL) in these patients. The high frequency of this subjective condition not always reflect the magnitude of the problem experienced by PAR-patients in real life and usually goes unnoticed. The aim of this study was to assess the olfactory dysfunction in patients with PAR and seek the association with the PAR-severity, sleep disturbance and QoL. METHODS: We studied 50 patients with physician-diagnosed PAR consulting a tertiary medical centre, 33 (66%) were female and 17 (34%) male. Mean age 43 years old, compared with 20 healthy volunteers. Clinical history and assessment of severity based on ARIA criteria, skin prick tests with mite mix, mould and pollens, QoL questionnaire for allergic rhino-conjuntivitis (Juniper RQLQ) were done. In addition the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Connecticut smell test (CST) were performed in every patient. RESULTS: In patients with PAR, 30% had mild PAR and 70% the moderate/severe form.48% of the patients studied had abnormalities of smell. We found an alteration of smell in 18% of mild-PAR and 60% in the severe/moderate patients (P < .006).There was no statistically significant relationship between olfactory impairment and sleep disturbance with the ESS (P < .85), nor in the alteration of smell in patients with polyps detected at physical examination (P < .57) or the relationship between impaired smell and smoking (P < .36).Patients with moderate/severe PAR also had alterations in QoL. Nasal obstruction was the most important parameter (70%) associated with the QoL worsening. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the impact of PAR on the olfactory dysfunction. An association between smell impairment and the severity of nasal symptoms was found. Smell impairment plays an important role in worsening QoL. CST is a tool that could be used in patients with PAR.