Correlation of Molecular Status with Preoperative Olfactory Function in Olfactory Groove Meningioma

TL;DR

This study explores how genetic changes and tumor features in olfactory groove meningioma relate to a patient's sense of smell before surgery.

Contribution

The study identifies planum sphenoidale hyperostosis and perifocal oedema as key factors affecting olfactory function, despite no direct link to tumor mutations.

Findings

Planum sphenoidale hyperostosis (PSH) significantly correlates with reduced olfactory function across multiple measures.

Perifocal oedema and age over 65 are associated with decreased olfactory performance.

No direct link was found between tumor mutations and olfactory impairment, likely due to a small sample size.

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between genomic alterations and preoperative olfactory function in patients with olfactory groove meningioma (OGM), often associated with olfactory impairment. Utilizing next-generation sequencing on 22 individuals with OGM, the research identified mutations with SMO/SUFU, with AKT1, and as wild type. The presence of planum sphenoidale hyperostosis (PSH) correlated with significant variations in tumour morphology and negatively impacted olfactory function, affecting odour threshold, discrimination, identification, and overall olfactory performance. Additionally, perifocal oedema was linked to decreased olfactory performance. The study also found that age over 65 and female gender were associated with reduced olfactory capabilities. Despite these findings, no direct link between olfactory impairment and tumour mutations was established, possibly due to the limited sample size. The research suggests further investigation with a larger participant group in order to better understand the impact of OGM driver mutations on olfactory function.

Purpose: The study aims to examine the possible correlation between genomic alterations and preoperative olfactory function in patients with olfactory groove meningioma (OGM), due to the frequent presence of olfactory impairment. Methods: We utilised next-generation sequencing to analyse samples from 22 individuals with OGM in order to detect driver mutations. Tumour morphology was assessed using preoperative imaging, whereas olfactory function was examined using Sniffin’ Sticks. Results: In a study of 22 OGM patients, mutations were as follows: 10 with SMO/SUFU, 7 with AKT1, and 5 as wild type. Planum sphenoidale hyperostosis (PSH) was present in 75% of patients, showing significant variation by mutation (p = 0.048). Tumour volumes, averaging 25 cm3, significantly differed among groups. PSH negatively impacted olfaction, notably affecting odour threshold, discrimination, identification, and global olfactory performance score (TDI) (p values ranging from <0.001 to 0.003). Perifocal oedema was associated with lower TDI (p = 0.009) and altered threshold scores (p = 0.038). Age over 65 and female gender were linked to lower thresholds and discrimination scores (p = 0.037 and p = 0.019). Conclusion: The study highlights PSH and perifocal oedema’s significant effect on olfactory function in OGM patients but finds no link between olfactory impairment and tumour mutations, possibly due to the small sample size. This suggests that age and gender affect olfactory impairment. Additional research with a larger group of participants is needed to explore the impact of OGM driver mutations on olfactory performance.