Background Although the “Sniffin’ Sticks” test (SST) is a widely used odor test, aplicability of odor tests is limited because of the high cost of the test and the regional‐cultural differentiation of odor recognition. We aimed to evaluate our regional odor norms by applying the SST with a Modified odor test (MOT) we created for this study, and to develop a test similar to the SST, which was less expensive and probably had a higher odor definition for our region. Methods This study includes 201 healthy volunteers: 91 men and 110 women over the age of 18 were included in the study. Tests were compared by applying the SST and MOT to all volunteers. Results In all subjects, for the SST: the mean Threshold score (TS), Discrimination score (DS), and Identification score (IS) were, respectively, 10.73 ± 2.35, 11.11 ± 11.94 and 11.32 ± 2.15. TheTDI mean score was found to be 33.11 ± 5.9. In the TDI score, the 10th percentile value was found to be 26. For the MOT, the mean TS(mTS), DS(mDS), and IS(mIS) were 10.88 ± 2.31, 12 ± 2.06, and 11.95 ± 2.07, respectively, the modified test TDI(mTDI) mean was 34.68 ± 6.47. The mTDI 10th percentile value was found to be 26. In all volunteers, there was no statistically significant difference between the two tests for the mean threshold score, while the difference in the mean discrimination score, the average identification score, and the average TDI (thresold, discrimination, sum of identification scores) score was statistically significant (P < .01). Conclusion This study is the first study to compare the SST and the MOT in our region. Making low‐cost modifications by adding more probable smells to the smell tests and using them in studies involving more participants will be more meaningful in evaluating normative odor scores and will result in more widespread use.

Aim:Our objective was to create a culturally appropriate test of olfactory perception based on the Sniffin' Sticks test to determine the effects of age, gender, education level, and smoking on patients' sense of smell in Diyarbakır, Turkey. Material and Methods:A total of 180 subjects participated in the study including 111 males. These were patients at the Dicle University Otolaryngology Polyclinic and voluntarily participated in the study between June and December 2012. They were subdivided according to age: Group 1 included 100 patients between 18-35 years of age, Group 2 contained 50 patients between 36-55 years of age, and Group 3 was comprised of 30 patients over 55 years old. All subjects received olfactory testing with our modified Sniffin' Sticks test. Results:There was a significant negative correlation between olfactory perception scores and increasing age. No significant relationship was found between olfactory perception and gender. When olfaction scores were evaluated according to education level, it was found that subjects with lower education had significantly decreased olfaction scores. Smokers also had significantly lower olfactory perception scores when compared to nonsmokers. In terms of odorant identification, sesame and cumin were the least likely to be correctly identified, as they were recognized only 21% and 40% of the time, respectively. Conclusion:We created a culturally appropriate test of olfactory perception based on the Sniffin' Sticks test to determine the effects of age, gender, education level, and smoking on our local patients' sense of smell. Our results suggest that age and smoking status negatively affect olfaction, and cumin and sesame should be replaced by more culturally familiar odorants.

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Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare sarcoma of the dermis. It is a malignant, locally aggressive, and infiltrative tumor with frequent recurrence. In this case, a 44-year-old woman presented with a 15-year history of a swelling in the medial canthus of the right eye that caused tearing. Imaging revealed a septated mass isodense to soft tissue that had eroded the medial wall of the orbit. Macroscopic examination showed an elastic, gray-brown, encapsulated, irregular mass measuring 45x35x22 mm. The surgical margins were positive, so adjuvant radiotherapy was started. The patient was followed for 2 years without recurrence. According to the literature, this mass is the largest orbital DFSP treated by globe-sparing primary resection.

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