Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32574896›Full record

ReviewAmerican journal of otolaryngology

Symptomatology in head and neck district in coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A possible neuroinvasive action of SARS-CoV-2.

Francesco Freni, Alessandro Meduri, Francesco Gazia, Viviana Nicastro, Cosimo Galletti, Pasquale Aragona, Cosimo Galletti, Bruno Galletti, Francesco Galletti

Open access · greenAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in American journal of otolaryngology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 86 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
86citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
12.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

86 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 189 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Dizziness in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques · 2022
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  5. Oral mucosal lesions in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review.The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery · 2021
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  14. Symptoms and Otorhinolaryngological Sequalae in Long Covid.International archives of otorhinolaryngology · 2025
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26 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Francesco FreniDepartment of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, ME, Italy. Electronic address: franco.freni@tiscali.it.
Alessandro MeduriDepartment of Scienze biomediche, odontoiatriche e delle immagini morfologiche e funzionali, Unit of Ophthalmology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: ameduri@unime.it.
Francesco GaziaDepartment of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, ME, Italy. Electronic address: ssgazia@gmail.com.
Viviana NicastroDepartment of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, ME, Italy. Electronic address: vivianica@hotmail.it.
Cosimo GallettiDepartment of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, ME, Italy. Electronic address: cosimogalletti92@gmail.com.
Pasquale AragonaDepartment of Scienze biomediche, odontoiatriche e delle immagini morfologiche e funzionali, Unit of Ophthalmology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: paragona@unime.it.
Cosimo GallettiDepartment School of Dentistry, University of Barcelona, Campus de Bellvitge UB, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: cosimogalletti88a@gmail.com.
Bruno GallettiDepartment of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, ME, Italy. Electronic address: bgalletti@unime.it.
Francesco GallettiDepartment of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, ME, Italy. Electronic address: Francesco.Galletti@unime.it.
Istituto Ortopedico Gaetano Pini · ITUniversity of Messina · ITUniversitat de Barcelona · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe aim of this manuscript is to investigate transversally Ear Nose Throat (ENT) symptoms COVID-19 infection correlated and to study the neurotropism and neuroinvasiveness of the virus in the head-neck district through the investigation of the sense of smell, taste, tearing, salivation and hearing.

methodsA total of 50 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection were included in our study. For each patient we evaluated the short version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (sQOD-NS), the Summated Xerostomia Inventory-Dutch Version (SXI-DV), The Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED), Schirmer test I, the Hearing Handicap Inventory For Adults (HHIA) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). All the tests we carried out were performed during the active phase of the symptomatology from COVID-19 (Condition A) and 15 after SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR test negative (Condition B).

resultsA total of 46 patients (92%) had olfactory dysfunction related to the infection. The 70% of patients reported gustatory disorders. Cough, fever, headache and asthenia were the most prevalent symptoms. There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0,001) in sQOD-NS, SXI-DV, SPEED, Schirmer test, HHIA and THI between Condition A and Condition B.

conclusionsIn our population there was an alteration of the sense of taste, of the sense of smell, dry eyes and of the oral cavity and an auditory discomfort, symptoms probably linked to the neurotropism of the virus. Furthermore, anosmia, dysgeusia and xerostomia are early symptoms of COVID-19, which can be exploited for an early quarantine and a limitation of viral contagion.

Indexed as

BetacoronavirusCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19HeadHumansNeckPandemicsPneumonia, ViralSARS-CoV-2Sensation DisordersViral TropismAnosmiaCOVID-19Dry eyeENTHead and neckHearing lossNeurotropismSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID32574896
PMCPMC7301823
OpenAlexW3036814491

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.