Peripheral and Central Smell Regions in Migraine Patients using Maraş Powder (Smokeless Tobacco): A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation

Abstract

Abstract Objective In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of Maraş powder (smokeless tobacco) use on smell regions in migraine patients. Methods The cranial magnetic resonance imaging images of 58 adult patients were included in this retrospective study. Thirty-eight of them were migraine patients (18 of them using Maraş powder and 20 of them not using Maraş powder) and 20 of them were healthy controls. Bilateral peripheral (olfactory bulb [OB] volume and olfactory sulcus depth) and central smell regions (insular gyrus area and corpus amygdala area) as well as nasal septal deviation were evaluated. Results In migraine patients (using or not using Maraş powder), OB volumes, and in Maraş powder using migraine patients, corpus amygdala areas were lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). In Maraş powder-using migraine patients, left insular gyrus areas of the females were significantly lower than the males (p < 0.05). Conclusion We concluded that the peripheral smell region of the OB volume decreased in migraine patients (using or not using Maraş powder). However, the central smell region of corpus amygdala area decreased in Maraş powder using migraine patients. Maraş powder usage may increase vascular shrinkage, and the decrease in OB volume and corpus amygdala area becomes prominent. It can be said that Maraş powder usage may cause a size decrease in the peripheral and central smell regions in migraine patients. Therefore, migraine patients and non-migrainous people should be noticed for the harmful effects of Maraş powder on the vascular system and smell system in the aspects of OB volume and corpus amygdala area decrease.