MR can identify olfactory injury in COVID-19 patients

Anosmia, the complete loss of smell, and hyposmia, the reduced sense of smell, are recognized as common symptoms of COVID-19. The olfactory pathway may represent an alternative route for virus entry into the central nervous system. However, the pathogenesis of OD in COVID-19 is not yet fully understood.

A case-control study compared quantitative measurements of olfactory anatomic structures between patients diagnosed with COVID-19 associated with persistent OD and healthy controls. This study had a retrospective design. Cranial MR imaging was performed on all participants in both the patient and control groups. The bilateral olfactory bulb volume, olfactory tract length and olfactory sulcus depth were measured in all patients. MR imaging can allow the diagnosis and prognosis prediction in patients with OD. Clinicians should not overlook OD as a potential indicator for disease diagnosis, the determination of prognosis, pandemic control and patient isolation.