Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Laryngorhinootologie 2022; 101(S 02): S243-S244
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1747013
Poster
Rhinology: Olfaction / Gustology

Olfactory and gustatory disorder after COVID-19 vaccination

Authors

  • Rosalie Klombis-Müller

    1   Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin

  • Theresa Obermüller

    1   Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin

  • Maximilian Von Bernstorff

    1   Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin

  • Sophie Burghardt

    1   Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin

  • Raid Hammod

    1   Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin

  • VeitM. Hofmann

    1   Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin
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Background 

Olfactory and gustatory disorders after COVID-19 vaccination have been described in the literature in case reports. These are mainly described after the Comirnaty vaccination. In this case report, the olfactory and gustatory disorders of two patients after Comirnaty vaccination are described.

Methods 

The two affected patients with persistent subjective olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction after COVID-19 vaccination were evaluated using olfactory testing with Sniffin Sticks (TDI) and taste testing. Therapy was subsequently initiated and patients were followed up at regular intervals.

Results 

2 Patients (1 male and 1 female) with an average age of 80 years, who developed olfactory and/or gustatory disorders after the first and second vaccination respectively, were examined and tested. One case exhibited in the subjective and objective tests a functional anosmia (TDI: right 14.3, left 12.8) whilst the second case displayed hyposmia (TDI: right 18.75, left 21.75) and hypogeusia (right 4/16, left 6/16). Antibody testing showed the presence of IgG(S) but no IgG(Nc) was detected.

Discussion 

Olfactory dysfunction in terms of hyp- or anosmia, as well as parosmia, may occur in patients after COVID-19 vaccination without previous COVID-19-infection and should always be tested objectively. One case even exhibited hypogeusia. Despite laboratory diagnostics, previous COVID-19 infections cannot be ruled out with certainty. Age-related pre-existing disorders cannot be evaluated. Whether the course of olfactory dysfunction is comparable to that of patients after COVID-19 infection needs to be investigated in further studies.



Publication History

Article published online:
24 May 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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