Olfactory bulb neuroplasticity: A prospective cohort study in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the olfactory bulb volumes (OBVs) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) to healthy individuals, and to assess the changes of the OBVs in patients with CRSwNP before and after the endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) utilising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with specialised software.

DESIGN

This is a prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tanta University hospital (tertiary referral hospital), Egypt.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty patients with CRSwNP (Group A) were compared with thirty healthy individuals (Group B) as regards the OBVs. Patients with CRSwNP underwent ESS where the Smell Identification Test-40 (SIT-40) and the OBVs were assessed pre-operatively and at least 6 months postoperatively. Assessment of the OBVs was carried out using MRI with specialised software.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment of the volumetric changes of the olfactory bulbs in patients with CRSwNP before and after endoscopic sinus surgery utilise magnetic resonance imaging.

RESULTS

The OBVs were significantly smaller in Group A (58.94 ± 7.96 mm3 and 60.79 ± 8.14 mm3 on the right and left sides, respectively) as compared with the Group B (73.46 ± 8.54 mm3 and 72.96 ± 9.74 mm3 on the right and left sides, respectively). There was also a significant increase in the olfactory bulb volumes as well as improvement of the SIT-40 6 months postoperatively in the Group A.

CONCLUSIONS

The olfactory bulb is characterised by neural plasticity, and its volume may be affected by the peripheral olfactory function.