Twice-daily application of topical corticosteroids with a squirt system for patients with steroid-responsive olfactory impairment

Abstract

Conclusion: Twice-daily topical corticosteroid treatment using a squirt system was beneficial in maintaining improvements in olfactory dysfunction which had been achieved by oral steroid treatment.

Objectives: Some patients suffering from olfactory dysfunction respond well to corticosteroids. However, maintaining these improvements is challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the maintenance effect of twice-daily topical steroid treatment using a squirt system.

Methods: Twenty-two anosmic patients with an increase in odor threshold, discrimination, and identification (TDI) scores in Sniffin’ Sticks tests by more than six points after 1-week of oral steroid treatment were enrolled. All the patients used a squirt system to apply topical corticosteroids and were followed up at 1, 3, and 6 months.

Results: Nineteen, 16, and 10 patients were followed-up at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment, respectively. All the patients had significant visual analog scale scores improvements compared to pre-treatment. The mean improvements in TDI scores were 9.80 (p < 0.001), 11.58 (p = 0.001), and 13.87 (p = 0.005) after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment, respectively. The self-rated and objective olfactory function scores were maintained with steroid squirt therapy without significant decline, even in the patients who were followed up for 6 months.

Keywords:

• Corticosteroid
• olfactory dysfunction
• smell
• steroid responsive anosmia
• Sniffin’ Sticks Test
• squirt

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.