Common and atypical otorhinolaryngological findings of Covid-19

Abstract

Purpose: Several atypical presentations of COVID-19 like anosmia, conjuctivitis, and gastrointestinal findings are seen in the literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the common and atypical symptoms of COVID-19 among the patients admitted to the otorhinolaryngology (ENT) outpatient clinic. Materials and Methods: This case series was conducted with 49 patients who applied to hospital between April 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020. Common and atypical otolaryngological findings were recorded. Sociodemographic findings and blood parameters were also evaluated. Results: Of the patients, 59.18% were aged 40 and over, 46.94% were of the A blood group, 55.10% were male and 24.49% were smokers, 51.02% had a chronic disease. Among typical symptoms; fever (71.43%), a dry cough (46.94%), shortness of breath (42.86%) was seen. Diarrhea (48.98%), runny nose (51.02%), nasal congestion (42.85%), sore throat (22.44%), headaches (32.65%), 18.36% olfactory disorder, 26.53% gustatory disturbance were noted. Olfactory and gustatory disturbances are found to be related to good prognosis and mild clinical course. The difference between Hg and D–dimer levels of the female and male patients were found to be statistically significant. The D-dimer levels determined in the present study were higher than those reported in the literature. Conclusion: While COVID-19 present with common symptoms, sometimes atypical symptoms can be the only finding during initial application to the hospital. Olfactory and gustatory disturbances point to the effects of COVID-19 on neurons. Neuronal effects like olfactory and gustatory disturbances should be closely monitored in COVID-19 patients in long term.