Imaging Findings in Patients with Anosmia Due to Head Trauma

Abstract

Background: Traumatic patients subject to post traumatic anosmia which its true diagnosis is so important especially in medicolegal issues. In this study we tend to evaluate the value of imaging findings in patients with post traumatic anosmia.

Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 80 patients with complaint of anosmia due to trauma referring to East Azerbaijan's legal medicine department from 2010 to 2012 and their anosmia was somewhat confirmed by olfactory tests and medical recording, were studied. Those patients meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria went under routine MRI, CT scan and ammoniac test and their findings were evaluated.

Results: Most patients (81.2%) were male. There were no significant differences between positive and negative ammoniac test in radiographic findings and CT scan findings such as fracture, hematoma, contusion and pneumocephalus. There was significant but not much powerful correlation between number of fractures in CT scan and neurologic findings with ammoniac test. In MRI in most cases hyper signal region in frontal lobe and then rectus gyrus was reported. In cases having hyper signal regions in frontal lobe, the most positive ammoniac test was seen.

Conclusion: Results of this study showed that none of the modalities alone could diagnose post traumatic anosmia and for this purpose all available facilities such as olfactory tests, radiologic modalities and exact physical examination altogether should be utilized.