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Background:This report produces a bibliographic study of psychophysical tests proposed clinical assessments of retronasal olfaction.Aims:We review how these tests can be utilized and discuss their methodological properties.Study Design:Systematic review.Methods:We undertook a systematic literature review investigating the retronasal olfaction test methods. PubMed, the free online MEDLINE database on biomedical sciences, was searched for the period from 1984 to 2015 using the following relevant key phrases: “retronasal olfaction”, “orthonasal olfaction”, “olfaction disorders”, and “olfaction test”. For each of the selected titles cited in this study, the full manuscript was read and analyzed by each of the three authors of this paper independently before collaborative discussion for summation and analytical reporting. Two reviewers independently read the abstracts and full texts and categorised them into one of three subgroups as follow, suitable, not-suitable, and unsure. Then they cross-checked the results, and a third reviewer decided assigned the group “unsure” to either the suitable group or the not-suitable group. Fifty eight studies revealed as suitable for review by two authors whereas 13 found not suitable for review. The total amount of 60 uncertain (unsure) or differently categorized articles were further examined by the third author which resulted in 41 approvals and 19 rejections. Hence 99 approved articles passed the next step. Exclusion criteria were reviews, case reports, animal studies, and the articles of which methodology was a lack of olfaction tests. By this way excluded 69 papers, and finally, 30 original human research articles were taken as the data.Results:The study found that the three most widely used and accepted retronasal olfaction test methods are the retronasal olfaction test, the candy smell test and odorant presentation containers. All of the three psychophysical retronasal olfaction tests were combined with orthonasal tests in clinical use to examine and understand the smell function of the patient completely. There were two limitations concerning testing: “the lack concentrations and doses of test materials” and “performing measurements within the supra-threshold zone”.Conclusion:The appropriate test agents and optimal concentrations for the retronasal olfaction tests remain unclear and emerge as limitations of the retronasal olfaction test technique. The first step to overcoming these limitations will probably require identification of retronasal olfaction thresholds. Once these are determined, the concept of retronasal olfaction and its testing methods may be thoroughly reviewed.

The results suggest the feasibility of preserving the submandibular gland in early stage oral cavity carcinoma unless the tumour is located in, or extends to, the floor of mouth.

Objectives/Hypothesis The aim of this study was to generate normative data of retronasal olfactory threshold values for normosmic and hyposmic individuals and to test the validity of that data by determining the discriminative power for normosmic/hyposmic differentiation. Study Design Prospective, descriptive and methodological study. Methods The orthonasal olfactory function of 20 normosmic and 20 hyposmic cases was evaluated using the Sniffin' Sticks Olfactory test. Sniffin' Sticks odor threshold, odor discrimination, and odor identification values and threshold discrimination identification (TDI) scores were recorded. A 13‐item test battery previously prepared in our Rhinology Laboratory for retronasal olfactory threshold test that consisted of concentrated solutions prepared from 2:1 diluted 99% phenylethyl alcohol (PEA) and water was used. Each concentration was evaluated with water control, and if not answered correctly, the same process was continued by moving to a higher concentration series. Four consecutive correct answers were determined as the patient's retronasal olfactory threshold. Results A strong correlation was found between Sniffin' Sticks TDI scores and retronasal odor threshold values in the normosmic group (P < .001, r:0.67). A very strong correlation was found between Sniffin' Sticks TDI scores and retronasal olfactory threshold values in the hyposmic group (P < .001, r:0.81). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the sensitivity and the specificity of normosmic/hyposmic differentiation of retronasal olfactory threshold test was 95% and 100%, respectively. The diagnostic cutoff value was 8.5. Conclusions This study shows that the retronasal olfactory test, a psychophysical odor test performed using an orally presented stimulus, can be used to differentiate normosmic and hyposmic cases. Level of Evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 131:1608–1614, 2021

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse the clinical symptoms, follow-up and treatment properties of the laryngomalacia patients that we encountered between 2009 and 2014. Methods:Records of 81 laryngomalacia patients who were followed up in our clinic between 2009 and 2014 were retrospectively analysed. Patients' gender, age, time of onset of the symptoms, chief complaints, other co-existing congenital laryngeal anomalies and treatment and follow-up properties were evaluated. Results:Of the 81 patients, 48 were male and 33 were female, and the mean age was 4.9 months. The average period of follow-up was 12.1 months. The chief complaints at the time of admission were stridor (100%) and episodic cyanosis with feeding (27.16%). Symptoms of 75 patients were resolved at an average of 8.2 months with conservative treatment. Three patients underwent supraglottoplasty. Tracheotomy and posterior cordotomy was performed for a patient with co-existing vocal cord paralysis. Additional tracheotomy was necessary for a patient with pulmonary co-morbidities and for another with co-existing subglottic stenosis. Conclusion:Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in infants. The majority of laryngomalacia patients can be managed conservatively by close follow-up. For patients in whom respiratory and feeding problems persist or growth retardation develops, surgical treatment is performed. Tracheotomy may be necessary for a small group of patients with additional diseases.