Open AccessAnalysis of conductive olfactory dysfunction using computational fluid dynamics
Author(s) -
Youji Asama,
Akiko Furutani,
Masato Fujioka,
Hiroyuki Ozawa,
Satoshi Takei,
Shigenobu Shibata,
Kaoru Ogawa
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0262579
Subject(s) - concha bullosa , olfaction , nasal cavity , medicine , cribriform plate , breathing , olfactory system , obstructive sleep apnea , nose , mouth breathing , pathology , anatomy , paranasal sinuses , biology , neuroscience , psychiatry
Conductive olfactory dysfunction (COD) is caused by an obstruction in the nasal cavity and is characterized by changeable olfaction. COD can occur even when the olfactory cleft is anatomically normal, and therefore, the cause in these cases remains unclear. Herein, we used computational fluid dynamics to examine olfactory cleft airflow with a retrospective cohort study utilizing the cone beam computed tomography scan data of COD patients. By measuring nasal–nasopharynx pressure at maximum flow, we established a cut-off value at which nasal breathing can be differentiated from combined mouth breathing in COD patients. We found that increased nasal resistance led to mouth breathing and that the velocity and flow rate in the olfactory cleft at maximum flow were significantly reduced in COD patients with nasal breathing only compared to healthy olfactory subjects. In addition, we performed a detailed analysis of common morphological abnormalities associated with concha bullosa. Our study provides novel insights into the causes of COD, and therefore, it has important implications for surgical planning of COD, sleep apnea research, assessment of adenoid hyperplasia in children, and sports respiratory physiology.