The future of early disease detection? Applications of electronic nose technology in otolaryngology

Recent advances in electronic nose technology, and successful clinical applications, are facilitating the development of new methods for rapid, bedside diagnosis of disease. There is a real clinical need for such new diagnostic tools in otolaryngology. We present a critical review of recent advances in electronic nose technology and current applications in otolaryngology. The literature reports evidence of accurate diagnosis of common otolaryngological conditions such as sinusitis (acute and chronic), chronic suppurative otitis media, otitis externa and nasal vestibulitis. A significant recent development is the successful identification of biofilm-producing versus non-biofilm-producing pseudomonas and staphylococcus species. Electronic nose technology holds significant potential for enabling rapid, non-invasive, bedside diagnosis of otolaryngological disease.