[Advances in etiology and pathogenic mechanisms of postviral olfactory dysfunction].

Postviral olfactory disorders(PVOD) are one of the most commonly identified causes of olfactory dysfunction. However, its causative agent has yet been identified even though techniques of virus detection have been improved rapidly. It has been reported that some kinds of viruses are able to infect the olfactory neurons directly and result in the infection of central nervous system via olfactory pathway, which suggest the complexity of the pathogenic mechanism of PVOD. In the article, we review the advance in virus identification and pathogenesis of PVOD, which might be helpful to the diagnosis and treatment.