[Developing a psychiatrist's flair: Lessons learned from two clinical cases of olfactory reference syndrome].

Abstract

Olfaction is often neglected in psychiatric semiology, despite its clinical relevance and impact on social functioning. The olfactory reference syndrome (ORS), characterized by a false belief that a person emits a foul odor, causes severe distress and disrupts social functioning. This article aims to highlight the importance of olfaction in psychiatric semiology, with a focus on ORS. We present a study of two men with ORS, followed in a psychotic disorder unit, using the CARE criteria. A literature review conducted according to PRISMA guidelines examines 53 studies from PubMed, PsychInfo, Google Scholar, and Cairns. By complementing the clinical presentations, our analysis facilitates a discussion of current knowledge on ORS, refuting, nuancing and validating existing hypotheses regarding its nosography and etiology. We suggest to further explore our understanding of olfaction through its association with emotions, the formation of impressions, and the Theory of Mind. Better grasping how olfaction influences psychological and social functioning could improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to ORS in psychiatry.