Magnetic resonance imaging of COVID-19 anosmic patients reveals abnormalities of the olfactory bulb: Preliminary prospective study

Annaelle Chetrit; Jerome R Lechien; Amine Ammar; Younes Chekkoury-Idrissi; Lea Distinguin; Marta Circiu; Sven Saussez; Marie-Christine Ballester; Marc Vasse; Najete Berradja; Stephane Hans; Robert Carlier; Myriam Edjlali

doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2020.07.028

Magnetic resonance imaging of COVID-19 anosmic patients reveals abnormalities of the olfactory bulb: Preliminary prospective study

J Infect. 2020 Nov;81(5):816-846. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.07.028. Epub 2020 Jul 30.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, APHP, Hôpitaux R. Poincaré-Ambroise Paré, DMU Smart Imaging, GH Université Paris-Saclay, U 1179 UVSQ/Paris-Saclay, Paris, France.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Hopital Foch, Paris Saclay University, UFR Simone Veil, Université Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Paris Saclay University), Paris, France; Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, CHU Saint-Pierre (CHU de Bruxelles), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Human Anatomy and Experimental Oncology, UMONS Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMons), Mons, Belgium. Electronic address: Jerome.Lechien@umons.ac.be.
³ Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Hopital Foch, Paris Saclay University, UFR Simone Veil, Université Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Paris Saclay University), Paris, France.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, CHU Saint-Pierre (CHU de Bruxelles), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Human Anatomy and Experimental Oncology, UMONS Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons (UMons), Mons, Belgium.
⁵ Department of Emergency, Hopital Foch, Paris Saclay University, Paris, France.
⁶ Department of Biology, Hopital Foch, Paris Saclay University, Paris, France.
⁷ Department of Radiology, APHP, Hôpitaux R. Poincaré-Ambroise Paré, DMU Smart Imaging, GH Université Paris-Saclay, U 1179 UVSQ/Paris-Saclay, Paris, France; Department of Neuroradiology, Université Paris-Descartes-Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, IMABRAIN-INSERM-UMR1266, DHU-Neurovasc, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Paris, France.

Abstract

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COVID-19 patients with total loss of smell have more olfactory bulb abnormalities at the magnetic resonance imaging than patients without loss of smell.
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The olfactory bulb MRI abnormalities may be objectified through a signal intensity ratio measurement that is calculated between the average signals of the olfactory bulb and the frontal white matter.
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The loss of smell is probably due to olfactory bulb inflammation related to virus spread.

Keywords: Anosmia; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Imaging; MRI; Olfaction; Olfactory; Smell.

Publication types

Letter
Comment

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
Cohort Studies
Coronavirus Infections*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Nasal Obstruction*
Olfactory Bulb / diagnostic imaging
Pandemics*
Pneumonia, Viral*
Prospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2
Self Report
Smell