Chemosensory function recovery in COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether subjects who have recovered from COVID-19 smell and taste disturbance perform similarly to their COVID-naïve baseline, on gold-standard smell and taste tests. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: University of Miami Department of Otolaryngology in Miami, FL between September 2021, and August 2022. METHODS: Those previously COVID-19 positive composed the experimental group, those who reported being COVID-naïve composed the control group. Mean total score for the UPSIT Smell Test, and the Burghart Taste Strip test were the primary outcome measures. RESULTS: 70 adult subjects (35 former COVID-positive, 35 COVID-naïve) were enrolled, with 21 females and 14 males in each group. 87 % of all subjects were white and were almost distributed evenly between Hispanic and non-Hispanic. Mean UPSIT total score for the experimental group was 30.6 (95 % CI 28.9-32.3), mean UPSIT total score for the control group was 31.2 (95 % CI 29.7-32.8). Mean Burghart total score for the experimental group was 11.3 (95 % CI 10.6-12.0), mean Burghart total score for the control group was 10.7 (95 % CI 9.7-11.8). These showed a significant overlap of the 95 % CI of the mean total score between the control group and the experimental group, suggesting no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that COVID-19 patients who experience smell and taste disturbance and recover, regain sensory ability similar to their pre-COVID ability. Further study is needed to validate these findings, but the results are promising in the long-term recovery of COVID-19.

Metástasis a la región nasosinusal / Metastasis to the sinonasal region

Las metástasis a los senos paranasales, aunque se presentan, son raras; dependiendo del área anatómica afectada, los pacientes referirán sintomatología similar a la que se presenta por tumores primarios propios del sitio. En muchas ocasiones, solamente la biopsia podrá ilustrar al médico tratante y permitirle tomar una conducta acorde con el estado del paciente. Presentamos 2 pacientes con tumores metastásicos al seno esfenoidal provenientes de la glándula tiroides y del páncreas, y 2 pacientes con carcinoma renal metastásicos a fosa nasal derecha (AU)

Metastasis to the sinonasal region do appear, but are rare. Depending on the affected anatomical area, patients might have symptoms similar to the ones presented with a primary tumour of the area. In many occasions, only a biopsy will give a final diagnosis and provide the treating physician with a pathway to follow. We present two patients with metastatic carcinoma to the sphenoid from the thyroid and pancreas and two patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the left nasal vestibule (AU)