Olfactory Neuroepithelium in Olfactory Cleft Polyps: Do They Have Any Effect on Olfaction Results After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery?

Objective:How the presence of olfactory structures in olfactory cleft polyps (OCPs) affect olfaction function outcomes after surgical removal has not yet been investigated. In this study we aimed to assess the presence of olfactory structures in OCPs and correlate these findings with olfactory outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).Methods:Twenty seven patients with OCP underwent preoperative topical and systemic steroid treatment and ESS. Biopsies from the middle meatal polyps (MMPs) and OCPs were immunohistochemically analyzed for olfactory marker protein (OMP). The smell diskettes olfaction test was applied to patients at baseline, after steroid treatment (AST) and after ESS.Results:OCPs exhibited OMP staining more commonly and intensely compared to MMPs (p=0.008), however, there were no correlations between OMP staining scores and any of the olfaction scores (p>0.05). Steroid treatment increased smell function significantly (p