Preservation of the olfactory tract in bifrontal craniotomy for anterior communicating artery aneurysms, and the functional prognosis

Abstract

Results of surgical treatment of anterior communicating artery aneurysms, approached via bifrontal craniotomy, are reported in 110 cases. It was possible to preserve the olfactory tracts bilaterally or unilaterally in over 65% of these cases: 47% with bilateral preservation and 34% with unilateral preservation; 33% of the patients with bilateral olfactory tract damage reported subjectively normal olfactory. Objective examination of olfaction by an otolaryngologist showed that 84% of the patients reporting normal olfaction did indeed have normal olfaction, whereas 91% of these reporting no olfaction were anosmic.