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Purpose <p>Pediatric olfactory development remains poorly understood, particularly regarding how age-related nasal morphological changes influence olfactory airflow dynamics and odorant transport. This study aimed to characterize age-dependent variations in olfactory airflow patterns and odorant distribution within the pediatric nasal cavity using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.</p> Methods <p>Three-dimensional nasal cavity models were reconstructed from high-resolution sinus CT scans of 11 pediatric patients (ages 3-18 years) using Mimics Innovation Suite. CFD simulations of inspiratory airflow were performed using OpenFOAM with physiologically scaled, age- and sex-dependent flow rates. Odorant transport was modeled as a dimensionless passive scalar representing an inert, non-reactive tracer gas to analyze concentration dynamics and arrival times at the olfactory mucosa across age groups.</p> Results <p>The olfactory cleft volume and airflow generally followed an upward trend from early childhood until approximately 15 years of age, with more pronounced enlargement observed in late adolescence (15–18 years). Young children (3-6 years) demonstrated markedly reduced olfactory airflow delivery compared to late adolescents (15-18 years). Odorant transport analysis revealed prolonged arrival times and reduced peak concentrations at the olfactory mucosa in younger subjects, indicating that anatomical immaturity constrains olfactory efficiency in early childhood.</p> Conclusion <p>Age-related nasal morphological development substantially influences olfactory airflow dynamics and odorant transport efficiency in children. These computational findings provide mechanistic insights into pediatric olfactory development and may inform clinical assessment strategies for childhood olfactory disorders.</p>

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Characteristics of pediatric olfactory airflow based on computational fluid dynamics analysis

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月5日

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  • Hironobu Nishijima,
  • Takahisa Yamamoto,
  • Kaoru Yamakawa,
  • Roji Kagoya,
  • Kei Ogawa,
  • Rumi Ueha,
  • Kenji Kondo

摘要

Purpose

Pediatric olfactory development remains poorly understood, particularly regarding how age-related nasal morphological changes influence olfactory airflow dynamics and odorant transport. This study aimed to characterize age-dependent variations in olfactory airflow patterns and odorant distribution within the pediatric nasal cavity using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.

Methods

Three-dimensional nasal cavity models were reconstructed from high-resolution sinus CT scans of 11 pediatric patients (ages 3-18 years) using Mimics Innovation Suite. CFD simulations of inspiratory airflow were performed using OpenFOAM with physiologically scaled, age- and sex-dependent flow rates. Odorant transport was modeled as a dimensionless passive scalar representing an inert, non-reactive tracer gas to analyze concentration dynamics and arrival times at the olfactory mucosa across age groups.

Results

The olfactory cleft volume and airflow generally followed an upward trend from early childhood until approximately 15 years of age, with more pronounced enlargement observed in late adolescence (15–18 years). Young children (3-6 years) demonstrated markedly reduced olfactory airflow delivery compared to late adolescents (15-18 years). Odorant transport analysis revealed prolonged arrival times and reduced peak concentrations at the olfactory mucosa in younger subjects, indicating that anatomical immaturity constrains olfactory efficiency in early childhood.

Conclusion

Age-related nasal morphological development substantially influences olfactory airflow dynamics and odorant transport efficiency in children. These computational findings provide mechanistic insights into pediatric olfactory development and may inform clinical assessment strategies for childhood olfactory disorders.