Background: The objective of the OLFAPEDRIAL study was to assess the olfactory dysfunction in allergic paediatric population, which has been scarcely studied.
Methods: Observational, cross-sectional and multicentre study evaluated the sense of smell in untreated allergic rhinitis (AR) paediatric patients aged 6-12 years.
Results: Forty-four per cent (551 of 1260) of children with AR reported smell dysfunction, with both loss of smell frequency (52.1%, p < 0.001) and intensity (0.75 ± 0.84, p < 0.0001) being more frequent in patients with persistent than intermittent AR (38.0% and 0.51 ± 0.73, respectively). In addition, both loss of smell frequency and intensity increased according to disease severity (m-ARIA classification) but always being significantly higher in persistent (p < 0.0001) than in intermittent AR.
Conclusions: Children with allergic rhinitis present a mild-moderate loss of smell frequency and intensity which is clearly related to the disease duration and severity. The loss of smell can be considered, as in adults, a clinical marker of disease severity.
Keywords: Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma; allergic rhinitis; loss of smell; olfaction.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.