Viral phantosmia/parosmia/anosmia ?

Dear Dr.Genden,

I had 3 surgeries for removing recurrent polyps, in 1994, 2001 (including partial turbinectomy), and 2007.

About 1.5 months after my last surgery, I started to feel a foul smell in my nose,
in spite of the sinuses being completely clear.
Many things started to have a strange smell, much different from their usual one and
often "returning" after several days, without the presence of the object.

A brain CT scan did not show anything out of normal.

My personal suspicion was that an unnoticed infection might have occurred immediately
after the surgery, probably because this time I did not have tampons in the sinuses
( as I did after the 2 previous surgeries ).

In March 2008 I had an additional small FESS surgery, for opening the sphenoidal sinuses,
that were somewhat blocked, and then a very heavy grow of
Staphilococcus Aureus was detected and treated with Antibiotics and probably gone,
but the foul smell still persists.

The only thing that almost made it disappear, but only during the period of treatement
was a Prednisone course of 12 days, but doctors are rather reticent in prescribing it for
longer periods, although I didn't experience any side effects of it at all.
My blood pressure is rather low than high, I do not suffer from stomach ulcer, a.s.o.

I just read in the answer to another question on this forum about "Viral Anosmia",
which made me start to think of another direction.
Maybe this or a very similar one could be my case ?

Can such a viral infection cause also Phantosmia or Parosmia, besides Anosmia ?

If yes, then how can such a situation be treated ?

After more than one year of suffering, I am desperate and hopeless ...

I sincerely apologize for the length of my question and thanks a lot anticipately
for any hint or clue !

Best Regards,
Iudith ( from Israel )

[Pegfor]

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