Phantosmia during radiation therapy: A report of 2 cases Journal Article
| Authors: | Yang, J. C.; Khakoo, Y.; Lightner, D. D.; Wolden, S. L. |
| Article Title: | Phantosmia during radiation therapy: A report of 2 cases |
| Abstract: | Phantosmia is an infrequently reported and poorly understood qualitative olfactory disorder characterized by the perception of a frequently unpleasant odor in the absence of an odorant stimulus. Peripheral phantosmia is hypothesized to involve abnormally active olfactory receptor neurons while central phantosmia is theorized to be the result of hyperactive neurons in the cortex. The authors present a case report that describes 2 patients with incomparable tumors and radiation fields who both experienced phantosmia featuring a halitosis-like odor during their courses of radiation therapy. Both the 6-year-old with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and the 15-year-old with World Health Organization grade II-III astrocytoma in the bifrontal lobes experienced significant distress and decreased quality of life during treatment because of the phantosmia, which resolved after completion of radiation therapy. To the best of the authors' knowledge, these are the first descriptions of phantosmia during focal or whole-brain radiation therapy. |
| Keywords: | adolescent; child; case report; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; brain tumor; glioma; brain neoplasms; magnetic resonance imaging; image interpretation, computer-assisted; radiotherapy; radiation injury; radiation exposure; computer assisted diagnosis; radiation dose fractionation; radiation injuries; remission; radiation therapy; neuroepithelioma; radiotherapy planning, computer-assisted; dose fractionation; frontal lobe; computer assisted radiotherapy; brain stem tumor; brain stem neoplasms; astrocytoma; remission, spontaneous; focal epilepsy; primary brain tumor; olfactory; phantosmia; unpleasant odor; olfactory hallucination; smelling disorder; epilepsies, partial; neoplasms, neuroepithelial; olfaction disorders |
| Journal Title: | Journal of Child Neurology |
| Volume: | 28 |
| Issue: | 6 |
| ISSN: | 0883-0738 |
| Publisher: | Sage Publications, Inc. |
| Date Published: | 2013-06-01 |
| Start Page: | 791 |
| End Page: | 794 |
| Language: | English |
| PUBMED: | 22805250 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| DOI: | 10.1177/0883073812450616 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | --- - "Export Date: 2 December 2013" - "Source: Scopus" |
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