Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-018-5216-9 RHINOLOGY Olfactory function and olfactory bulb volume in Wilson’s disease Nazan Degirmenci 1  · Bayram Veyseller 2  · Hasmet Hanagasi 3  · Basar Bilgic 3  · Defne Gurbuz 4  · Ali Toprak 5  · Orhan Ozturan 1 Received: 25 October 2018 / Accepted: 16 November 2018 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Purpose To evaluate the olfactory function and the olfactory bulb (OB) volume changes in Wilson’s Disease (WD) patients. Methods A prospective, controlled, single-blinded study was planned. 12 patients with WD (Group 1) and 12 healthy sub- jects (Group 2) were included in the study. Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) test was applied to evaluate olfactory functions. OB volumes were measured with a 1.5 T General Electric Signa Excite MRI scanner. Results There was a significant difference between the CCCRC scores of the two groups (p < 0.05). The difference of the OB volumes of the two groups was insignificant (p > 0.05). Conclusions WD patients are likely to experience olfactory dysfunction, so its assessment may be a useful tool to the follow- up care of these patients, although further studies are needed to evaluate correlations in WD evolution. Keywords Wilson’s disease · Olfactory dysfunction · Olfactory bulb · Olfaction Introduction Wilson’s disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by excessive copper deposition in the body, mainly in the liver and the brain [1]. The diagnosis is usu- ally based on the clinical and laboratory findings, including Kayser–Fleischer rings, neurological symptoms, low serum ceruloplasmin, increased urine and hepatic copper level [2]. There are many reports on sensory deficits in primary neurodegenerative disorders. Recent studies suggests that the olfactory deficit in Parkinson Disease is progressive and could correlate with other clinical markers [3]. This study was conducted to evaluate the olfactory function and the olfactory bulb (OB) volume changes in WD patients. Materials and methods Study design A prospective, controlled, single-blinded study was planned. * Nazan Degirmenci nzndegirmenci@hotmail.com Bayram Veyseller bayveyseller@hotmail.com Hasmet Hanagasi hasmet@yahoo.com Basar Bilgic bilgicb@gmail.com Defne Gurbuz defnegurbuz@yahoo.com Ali Toprak atoprak@bezmialem.edu.tr Orhan Ozturan orhanent@yahoo.com 1 Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey 2 Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Faculty, Acibadem University, Istanbul, Turkey 3 Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey 4 Department of Radiology, Okmeydani Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey 5 Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey