To explore the potential categories of postoperative olfactory function recovery trajectories in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP) and to analyze the influencing factors of these categories.

A total of 300 CRSwNP patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery at Ganzhou Hospital of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University were selected as the study subjects from January 2023 to April 2025.Olfactory function was assessed using the T&T standard olfactory test method preoperatively and at 1,3, and 6 months postoperatively.Latent variable mixed growth modeling was employed to identify the potential trajectory categories of olfactory recovery in CRSwNP patients.The univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the influencing factors of the latent categories.

The postoperative olfactory recovery trajectories in CRSwNP patients were classified into three categories,namely rapid recovery type (154 cases,51.3%),slow recovery type (92 cases,30.7%),and poor recovery type(54 cases,18.0%).Multivariate analysis revealed that comorbid allergic rhinitis,history of endoscopic sinus surgery,olfactory cleft polyps,postoperative complications,Lund-Mackay score,serum total IgE level,and blood eosinophil percentage were influencing factors for the trajectory categories of postoperative olfactory recovery in CRSwNP patients(all P<0.05).

Group heterogeneity existed in the postoperative olfactory recovery trajectories among CRSwNP patients.Comorbid allergic rhinitis,history of endoscopic sinus surgery,and olfactory cleft polyps and so on are key factors affecting the recovery trajectory categories.Early identification of high-risk populations based on these influencing factors and the development of targeted intervention strategies could improve olfactory outcomes of patients.