Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28434127›Full record

ArticleEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2017

Intranasal vitamin A is beneficial in post-infectious olfactory loss.

Thomas Hummel, Katherine L Whitcroft, Gina Rueter, Antje Haehner

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05216614 (Fluvoxamine to Augment Olfactory Recovery For Long COVID-19 Parosmia), which is not on this map. Cited by 54 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
54citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05216614 phase2withdrawnnot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Fluvoxamine to Augment Olfactory Recovery For Long COVID-19 Parosmia (FluCOP Trial)

TypeinterventionalSponsorWashington University School of MedicineRan2021 to 2022Enrolled0ConditionsCOVID-19, Olfactory Disorder, ParosmiaArmsFluvoxamine, Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

54 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 108 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Efficacy of forskolin as a promising therapy for chronic olfactory dysfunction post COVID-19.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024
    Trial
  10. Acupuncture is associated with a positive effect on odour discrimination in patients with postinfectious smell loss-a controlled prospective study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2022
    Trial
  11. Classical and Speech Therapy Olfactory Training in the Treatment of COVID-19-Related Olfactory Disorders.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
    Article
  12. Vitamin A-Containing Intranasal Drops Improve Odour Detection Threshold.ORL; journal for oto-rhino-laryngology and its related specialties · 2026
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Topical Anesthesia and Olfactory Capability: A Pilot Study.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Thomas HummelDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany. thummel@mail.zih.tu-dresden.de.
Katherine L WhitcroftDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Gina RueterDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Antje HaehnerDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
TU Dresden · DEUniversity College London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Vitamin A plays a decisive role in the regeneration of olfactory receptor neurons. In this retrospective study we investigated the effectiveness of topical vitamin A in patients with post-infectious and posttraumatic smell disorders. Retrospective cohort. A total of 170 patients (age range 18-70 years, mean age 52 years) participated. Forty-six patients were treated with smell training only. The remaining 124 patients received smell training and topical vitamin A. Olfactory function was assessed using the Sniffin' Sticks test kit, a validated technique to measure odor thresholds, discrimination and identification. The duration of olfactory training was 12 weeks. In patients receiving vitamin A, this was applied topically (head back position) at a dose of 10,000 IU/day for 8 weeks. Follow-up testing was performed approximately 10 months after the first assessment. Thirty-seven per cent of all post-infectious patients treated with vitamin A exhibited clinical improvement, whereas only 23% improved in controls. Using a Chi-square test, this was a significant result (χ

Indexed as

Administration, IntranasalAdolescentAdultAgedDrug Administration ScheduleFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansInfectionsMaleMiddle AgedOlfaction DisordersRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeVitamin AVitaminsVitamin AVitaminsDrug therapyHyposmiaNoseOlfactionRetinoic acidTherapeuticsTherapyVitamin A

Identifiers

PMID28434127
OpenAlexW2606757976

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.