The Smell of Burnt Toast: A Case Report

A 71-year-old woman awoke one morning to find that she perceived all aromas, odors, and fragrances as smelling like burnt toast. Over the next three years, numerous studies and therapeutic trials failed to elicit the cause of her dysosmia or to provide relief. Finally, the demonstration of small infarcts as seen on a brain MRI suggested that an infarct near the olfactory pathway was responsible for the sudden onset and the 11 year persistence of her unique paromia.