{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nPhantosmia is the perception of an odor without an external stimulus. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been associated with olfactory dysfunction, but phantosmia has rarely been described.Case presentation\n\nA 40-year-old woman with longstanding GERD developed intermittent perceptions of cigarette smoke during a week of worsening heartburn and bloating. Episodes were accompanied by déjà vu, nausea, and chills. A double-contrast barium esophagram demonstrated a small hiatal hernia and reflux to the thoracic inlet. She reported approximately 80% improvement after starting omeprazole, with brief recurrence during a heartburn flare, and complete resolution at later follow-up. Migraine with aura, allergic rhinitis, focal seizures, and psychiatric causes were considered as alternative explanations.Conclusion\n\nThe close relationship between reflux activity and olfactory symptoms, together with improvement during reflux-directed treatment, supports a plausible association between GERD and phantosmia. This single case does not establish causation, and neurologic and sinonasal etiologies should remain part of the evaluation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, United States.",
    "Bronson Healthcare Family Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, United States."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Christopher Visak"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Skylar Ketteler"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shireen Husami"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Imran Shafqat"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8c4p49w4mh6fm.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fgstr.2026.1867837",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13686864",
  "id": "8c4p49w4mh6fm",
  "issns": [
    "2813-1169"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923111",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2809|Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220982293",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13686864?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13686864",
  "pmid": "42923111",
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8c4p49w4mh6fm.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:36Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42923111",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923111"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2809|Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Case Report: When reflux smells like smoke: a case of phantosmia associated with gastroesophageal reflux.",
  "title_text": "Case Report: When reflux smells like smoke: a case of phantosmia associated with gastroesophageal reflux.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8c4p49w4mh6fm",
  "venue": "Frontiers in gastroenterology (Lausanne, Switzerland)",
  "versions": []
}