In Vivo Imaging of the Olfactory Epithelium Using Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy

This research is being done to better characterize the part of the nose that helps people smell. Currently, the only ways to study smell loss mostly rely on how people report it, rather than being able to see the underlying structures directly. In this study, the team will use a special microscope (Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (CLE)), originally developed for brain tissue, to look at the part of the nose that helps to detects smell. The study team hopes to identify the tiny structures in that area and see how they might be different in people who have smell loss compared to those who do not.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged ≥18 years * Undergoing endoscopic sinus or endonasal skull base surgery while under - general anesthesia where the nasal turbinate is accessible * Able to complete study questionnaires and psychophysical smell testing * Able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to fluorescein * Pregnancy * Medical instability precluding participation * Severe anatomic obstruction preventing safe access to the olfactory cleft and nasal turbinate * Any other safety concern identified by the investigator