Olfactory hallucinations in a young male patient

Abstract

Background: Olfactory hallucinations are uncommon symptom in psychotic episodes with a prevalence of 6% of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. There is little research on the phenomenology of these symptoms and their treatment represent a challenge for medical providers every time they occur.

The case: An 18-year-old male patient was derived from the Dermatology department due to a condition of acne and bromhydrosis. He refers having ideas that he has "strange smells" on him, "smell of fried foods" that occur in social contexts. He says that he knows that others also detect these smells although they came to deny this to him.

Conclusion: Olfactory hallucinations or phantosmias can occur in various pathologies from organic conditions such as temporal lobe seizures to psychiatric conditions such as various psychotic disorders, mood and post-traumatic stress disorder