The olfactory effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have been well documented among other neurologic manifestations. Although olfaction recovers within a few days in most cases, some patients develop a more protracted course of olfactory impairment, lasting for several weeks. To date, there are no reports on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings in patients with persistent anosmia or hyposmia due to COVID-19. Hence, we performed a pilot case control study on MRI findings in recovered COVID-19 patients with protracted olfactory dysfunction.
Olfactory bulb and mucosa abnormalities in persistent COVID-19 induced anosmia: a Magnetic Resonance Imaging study