Welge-Lüssen Antje, Wolfensberger Markus
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Adv Otorhinolaryngol. 2006;63:125-132. doi: 10.1159/000093758.
Postviral olfactory disorders usually occur after an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) associated with a common cold or influenza. With a prevalence between 11 and 40% they are among the common causes of olfactory disorders. Women are more often affected than men and post-URTI disorders usually occur between the fourth and eighth decade of life. The exact location of the damage in post-URTI is not yet known even though from biopsies a direct damage of the olfactory receptor cells is very likely. Nevertheless, central mechanisms cannot completely be ruled out. The diagnosis is made according to the history, clinical examination and olfactory testing. Affected patients usually recall the acute URTI and a close temporal connection should be present to establish the diagnosis. Spontaneous recovery might occur within 2 years. So far, no effective therapy exists even though specific olfactory training might be promising.
病毒感染后嗅觉障碍通常发生在与普通感冒或流感相关的上呼吸道感染（URTI）之后。其患病率在11%至40%之间，是嗅觉障碍的常见原因之一。女性比男性更易受影响，且上呼吸道感染后的嗅觉障碍通常发生在40至80岁之间。尽管活检显示嗅觉受体细胞很可能受到直接损伤，但上呼吸道感染后损伤的确切位置尚不清楚。然而，中枢机制也不能完全排除。诊断依据病史、临床检查和嗅觉测试做出。受影响的患者通常能回忆起急性上呼吸道感染，且应存在密切的时间关联以确立诊断。自发恢复可能在2年内发生。到目前为止，即使特定的嗅觉训练可能有前景，但仍不存在有效的治疗方法。
