[Olfactory sensitivity in adenoid hyperplasia].

Olfactory sensitivity was assessed in 37 children aged between 5 and 12 years before and after adenectomy. Olfactory detection thresholds for 2-phenylethanol and dimethyldisulphide, as well as the ability to distinguish 8 other odours, were measured using a squeeze bottle test. The results suggest that preoperative olfactory detection thresholds in subjects with severe nasal obstruction attributable to adenoid hypertrophy are higher than in those with less severe nasal obstruction. The olfactory detection thresholds improved after adenectomy in cases with high preoperative nasal obstruction indices. The olfactory detection threshold remained relatively unchanged in cases with less severe adenoid hyperplasia. In contrast, improvement in olfactory discrimination was observed in all children, irrespective of the degree of preoperative nasal obstruction.