Frequency and localization of the putative vomeronasal organ in humans in relation to age and gender

Objectives/Hypotheses: In many species the vomeronasal organ (VNO) serves a s a chemosensory organ in addition to the olfactory system. The present inv estigation was undertaken to study 1) the frequency of monolateral or bilat eral detection of the putative VNO (pVNO) in humans, 2) its localization in humans, and 3) whether detectability of the pVNO varies with age or gender . Study Design: Prospective, Methods: A total of 173 subjects participated in this study (88 women and 85 men; age range, 2-91 y), Inspection of the n ose was performed with a speculum and a 30 degrees endoscope. The exact loc alization of the VNO was measured with custom-built rulers, Results: The st udy revealed the following major results: 1) ApVNO is detectable in approxi mately two-thirds of the population and bilateral pVNOs are present in appr oximately 40% of investigated subjects, 2) its localization on the left and right nasal septum is almost symmetrical, and 3) and detectability of the pVNO is not related to age or gender. Conclusions: The present data indicat ed that the pVNO is present in approximately two-thirds of the population. This value may be biased by methodological or biological factors; neverthel ess, it indicates that the pVNO is not observed in all humans regardless of age and gender. Thus, considering its variability in shape and immunohisto chemical characteristics and the missing nerval connections between the per ipheral "organ" and the central nervous system, the present results are not suited to argue for a functional significance of the pVNO in humans.