C. Rumeau

Olfactory exploration: State of the art.

Olfactory disorders are fairly common in the general population. Exploration, on the other hand, is seldom performed by ENT specialists, even in reference centers. There may be three reasons for this: this particular sensory modality may seem unimportant to patients and/or physicians; available treatments may be underestimated, although admittedly much yet remains to be done; and olfactory exploration is not covered by the national health insurance scheme in France. Advances in research in recent decades have shed light on olfactory system functioning. At the same time, several techniques have been developed to allow maximally objective olfactory assessment, as olfactory disorder is sometimes the first sign of neurodegenerative pathology. Moreover, objective olfactory assessment may be needed in a medico-legal context. The present paper updates the techniques currently available for olfactory exploration.

The olfactory fascia: an evo–devo concept of the fibrocartilaginous nose

PurposeEvo–devo is the science that studies the link between evolution of species and embryological development. This concept helps to understand the complex anatomy of the human nose. The evo–devo theory suggests the persistence in the adult of an anatomical entity, the olfactory fascia, that unites the cartilages of the nose to the olfactory mucosa.MethodsWe dissected two fresh specimens. After resecting the superficial tissues of the nose, dissection was focused on the disarticulation of the fibrocartilaginous noses from the facial and skull base skeleton.ResultsDissection shows two fibrocartilaginous sacs that were invaginated side-by-side in the midface and attached to the anterior skull base. These membranous sacs were separated in the midline by the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid. Their walls contained the alar cartilages and the lateral expansions of the septolateral cartilage, which we had to separate from the septal cartilage. The olfactory mucosa was located inside their cranial ends.ConclusionThe olfactory fascia is a continuous membrane uniting the nasal cartilages to the olfactory mucosa. Its origin can be found in the invagination and differentiation processes of the olfactory placodes. The fibrous portions of the olfactory fascia may be described as ligaments that unit the different components of the olfactory fascia one to the other and the fibrocartilaginous nose to the facial and skull base skeleton. The basicranial ligaments, fixing the fibrocartilaginous nose to the skull base, represent key elements in the concept of septorhinoplasty by disarticulation.

Nasal polyposis (or chronic olfactory rhinitis)

The concept of chronic rhinosinusitis with or without polyps is founded on the structural and functional unicity of the pituitary mucosa and its united response to environmental aggression by allergens, viruses, bacteria, pollution, etc. The present review sets this concept against the evo-devo three-nose theory, in which nasal polyposis is distinguished as specific to the olfactory nose and in particular to the non-olfactory mucosa of the ethmoid, which is considered to be not a sinus but rather the skull-base bone harboring the olfactory mucosa. The evo-devo approach enables simple and precise positive diagnosis of nasal polyposis and its various clinical forms, improves differential diagnosis by distinguishing chronic diseases of the respiratory nose and those of the paranasal sinuses, hypothesizes an autoimmune origin specifically aimed at olfactory system auto-antigens, and supports the surgical concept of nasalization against that of functional sinus and ostiomeatal-complex surgery. The ventilation function of the sinuses seems minor compared to their production, storage and active release of nitric oxide (NO) serving to oxygenate arterial blood in the pulmonary alveoli. This respiratory function of the paranasal sinuses may indeed be their most important. NO trapped in the ethmoidal spaces also accounts for certain radiographic aspects associated with nasal polyposis.

Chronic respiratory rhinitis

The clinical distinction of chronic respiratory rhinitis appears to confirm the evo-devo theory of the three noses. The authors report two cases of advanced allergic rhinitis, in which chronic inflammation had induced a violaceous colour of the mucosa of the respiratory nose and a whitish polypoid appearance of the free edge of the middle turbinate. Nose and paranasal sinus CT scan revealed, beyond the virtual nasal cavities observed on nasal endoscopy and CT imaging, normal radiolucency or only minor opacities of the ethmoid (i.e. olfactory nose) and paranasal sinuses that could not explain the severity of the chronic nasal dysfunction. The hypothesis of non-allergic chronic respiratory rhinitis is developed according to these two observations. The differential diagnosis between chronic respiratory rhinitis and dysfunction of the cavernous plexuses of the respiratory nose is discussed. A precise diagnosis appears to be a prerequisite for appropriate and effective management. Surgery of the respiratory nose can associate septoplasty to inferior turbinoplasty, but must be preceded and combined with medical treatment adapted to the underlying inflammatory process.

Endoscopic surgery of the olfactory cleft

The olfactory cleft is the specific site of development of many tumours (respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma, intestinal-type adenocarcinoma, neuroblastoma, inverted papilloma, glomangiopericytoma, etc.) and is also the site of CSF rhinorrhoea via the cribriform plate (cribri-rhinorrhoea). Olfactory cleft surgery must therefore be considered to be a specific type of surgery, complementary to ethmoidal labyrinth surgery and anterior skull base surgery. Olfactory cleft tumours can be resected according to five different surgical procedures: olfactory cleft mucosal resection, partial resection of the olfactory cleft, total resection of the olfactory cleft, unilateral endoscopic anterior skull base resection, and bilateral endoscopic anterior skull base resection. The diagnosis and closure of cribri-rhinorrhoea (i.e. documented CSF rhinorrhoea, demonstrated to arise from the cribriform plate during endoscopic examination of the olfactory cleft under general anaesthesia in a patient with no localizing signs on imaging) completes this range of treatment options.

Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome among the general population of the Lorraine Region of France

OBJECTIVE Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) seems to be underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to assess awareness of OSAHS among the general population of the Lorraine Region of France. METHODS A descriptive epidemiological study was carried out from July to November 2015 in the Lorraine Region, using an anonymous questionnaire that assessed knowledge of OSAHS-related symptoms and complications. The survey was also circulated on the Internet via social media. Exclusion criteria comprised age under 18 years, refusal to fill out the questionnaire and linguistic barrier. RESULTS 1307 subjects filled out the survey: 1020 on paper format and 287 via the Internet. About two-thirds of the population recognized a majority of symptoms. However, there was a significant lack of knowledge of complications, especially cardiological and neurological. Suffering from OSAHS, having had higher education, and being under 40 years of age, were factors linked to better awareness of the syndrome. Internet respondents also showed better awareness. CONCLUSION Despite encouraging results regarding OSAHS symptoms, the general population showed limited awareness of its complications. Innovative educational campaigns must be organized to inform practitioners and the general public about the disease and raise awareness of its complications.

Sinonasal symptom assessment by the self-reported DyNaChron questionnaire: Before or after consultation?

OBJECTIVE Assessment of sinonasal symptoms on a self-reported questionnaire is thoroughly subjective, but indispensable for quantifying symptoms. The present study sought to compare responses on the DyNaChron questionnaire just before and just after consultation for chronic sinonasal dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS 78 patients (mean age, 43.1±16.9 years) consulting for chronic sinonasal dysfunction took part in a prospective study, responding to the computerized version of the DyNaChron self-reported questionnaire, in a dedicated room, just before and just after medical interview and physical examination. RESULTS Most patients tended to grade symptoms as less severe after consultation. Significant differences in mean score were found for nasal obstruction (difference of 0.94/10), anterior (0.40) and posterior rhinorrhea (0.26), olfactory disorder (0.65), and facial pain and headache (0.65), but not for chronic cough. CONCLUSION Self-reported scores for chronic sinonasal dysfunction differ slightly from before to after consultation. They are therefore to be interpreted with caution, taking account of possible factors of bias.

Chronic nasal dysfunction

Chronic nasal dysfunction is a clinical concept in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of sinonasal diseases, based on the evo-devo theory of formation of the nose according to which the nose is not a single organ but rather an association of three organs: olfactory nose, respiratory nose and paranasal sinuses. In chronic nasal dysfunction theory, etiological diagnosis takes account of the possible pathophysiological independence of nasal symptoms, in accordance with the different origins and physiology of the three organs constituting the nose. The diagnostic approach of the chronic nasal dysfunction concept breaks down the pathology so as to propose treatment(s) adapted to the diseased organ(s) and to the capacity for physiological resolution of dysfunction induced in one organ by pathology in a neighboring nasal organ. The ethmoid is not a sinus according to evo-devo, and therefore functional endoscopic endonasal surgery (FEES) cannot be restricted to functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Evo-devo theory and the chronic nasal dysfunction concept offer an alternative to the concept of chronic rhinosinusitis with or without polyps for the management of sinonasal diseases.

Compartmentalized endoscopic resection of the olfactory cleft for nasal intestinal adenocarcinomas

The purpose of this study was to describe the pathology of the different compartments in endoscopic resection of nasal intestinal‐type adenocarcinomas (ITACs) and its relationships with oncologic outcomes.

Multicenter assessment of exclusive endoscopic endonasal approach for the treatment of 53 olfactory neuroblastomas

Given the particularities of olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) and the lack of studies on the subject, a multicenter collaborative study was conducted to assess treatment strategy.