Hansen's disease and olfaction.

The sense of smell was assessed in a group of 50 leprosy patients. It was found that 40% of the patients showed a mild to complete impairment of the smell sense (anosmia) which was related to the systemic clinical state and to the severity of nasal lesions. Possible reasons for anosmia in leprosy patients are discussed. It has been observed that anosmia may be the presenting feature of leprosy. Most leprosy patients are not aware of olfactory disturbances, and anosmia may be missed unless specifically looked for. It is emphasized that leprosy should be considered an important cause of anosmia, at least in endemic areas, and in an anosmic patient leprosy should be always excluded.