Data related to the olfactory evaluation of leprosy patients

Background: The effect of leprosy on the sense of smell is not yet fully
established. Studies that have relied only on patients’ perceptions may
have under- or over-estimated the change in smell perception. A validated
and psychophysical method is necessary to avoid these errors in
assessment. Objectives: This study aimed to validate the existence of
olfactory involvement in leprosy patients. Methods: A cross-sectional,
controlled study was conducted, in which individuals with leprosy (exposed
individuals) and individuals without leprosy (control patients) were
recruited. For each exposed individual, we selected two control patients.
A total of 108 patients (72 control patients and 36 exposed individuals)
with no history of infection with the new coronavirus (COVID-19) took the
University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test(UPSIT). Results: Most
exposed individuals had olfactory dysfunction [n = 33, 91.7% (CI 95%:
77.5%–98.3%)] when compared with the control patients [n = 28, 38.9% (CI
95%: 27.6%-51.1%)], but only two (5.6%) had olfactory complaints. The
olfactory function was significantly worse among exposed individuals
[UPSIT leprosy = 25.2 (CI 95%: 23.1–27.3) when compared with the UPSIT
control patients = 34.1 (CI 95%: 33.0–35.3); p<0.001]. The risk of
olfactory loss was higher among the exposed individuals [OR: 19.5 (CI 95%:
5.18–105.70; p< 0.001)]. Conclusions: Olfactory dysfunction was
highly prevalent among exposed individuals, although they had little or no
self-knowledge of the disorder. The results show that it is important to
assess the sense of smell in exposed individuals.