Laryngectomees using the Sniffin'Sticks test battery and chemosensory evoked potentials

Objectives/Hypothesis: Laryngectomees are often considered to be completely anosmic, The aim of this study was to determine whether anosmia in larynge ctomees reflects diminished transport of odorants to the olfactory epitheli um or olfactory epithelial damage, Study Design: Twenty-five laryngectomees were examined psychophysically using the Sniffin'Sticks test battery, All patients rated the degree of their subjectively perceived deficit on a rati ng scale. Chemosensory evoked potentials were also recorded in 11 of 25 pat ients. Results: Sixteen patients complained very little about their smell d eficit, even though the psychophysical testing found 18 patients to be anos mic and 7 hyposmic, Olfactory potentials could be recorded in only 7 of the 11 patients who received this evaluation, despite the fact that all 11 per ceived, at least vaguely, the olfactory stimulus, H2S, during the recording sessions, No meaningful correlation between the psychophysical and electro physiological data was observed. Conclusions: The psychophysical data revea led the laryngectomees to be either functionally anosmic or hyposmic, The o lfactory evoked potential data suggested that at least in two thirds of the laryngectomized patients the olfactory system had some function, even up t o 22 years after surgery. Because patients in everyday situations find ways to bring odorants to the olfactory mucosa, the low number of complaints ab out subjectively perceived deficits is reasonable.