Evaluation of Sense of Smell in Onychomycosis Patients Receiving Terbinafine Treatment

Abstract

Aim: The most common side effects of terbinafine are gastrointestinal symptoms. Loss of taste and smell side effects are presented in a small number of case reports. We aimed to measure the effect of terbinafine on the sense of smell and the degree of change in the sense of smell in this study. Material and Methods: Odor identification test (OIT), odor threshold test (OTT), and odor discrimination test (ODT) were applied to the patients treated with terbinafine and the control group. It was applied with “Sniffin Sticks” test pens. Smell test was performed on the patient group just before the start of terbinafine treatment and at the end of 3 months of treatment. Results: There was no statistical difference between the patient and control groups in terms of age (p=0.991) and gender (p=0.811). There was no statistical difference when the initial odor tests of the patient group and the control group were compared. The OIT value of the patient group was 10.15±1.43 at the beginning and 10.10±1.15 at the end of the treatment (p=0.743). The OTT values were 6.23±1.08 at the beginning and 6.21±0.85 at the end of the treatment (p=0.811). The ODT values were 9.71±1.44 at the beginning and 9.69±1.34 at the end of the treatment (p=0.767). There was no statistical difference in the results of the tests performed at the beginning and end of the treatment. Conclusion: There was no adverse effect on the sense of smell associated with the use of systemic terbinafine treatment for 3 months. © 2021, Duzce University Medical School. All rights reserved.