Desiderosmia
{{Short description|Craving for particular smells}}
Desiderosmia is a craving for particular sharp or pungent smells, including the smells of such inedible substances as rubber tires, menthol, gasoline, bleach and domestic cleaning products, without the desire to taste or eat the substances in question.{{Cite journal |last1=Hansen |first1=Bryar |last2=Ravindran |first2=Aishwarya |last3=Bottner |first3=Wayne A. |last4=Cole |first4=Craig E. |last5=Farnen |first5=John P. |last6=Go |first6=Ronald S. |date=2016-12-02 |title=Desiderosmia (Craving of Olfaction): A Novel Symptom Associated with Iron Deficiency Anemia |url=https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/128/22/4827/99496/Desiderosmia-Craving-of-Olfaction-A-Novel-Symptom |journal=Blood |volume=128 |issue=22 |pages=4827 |doi=10.1182/blood.V128.22.4827.4827 |issn=0006-4971}}
Desiderosmia can be a symptom of iron deficiency. It has been observed in pregnant women with low iron levels.{{Cite journal |last1=Harris |first1=Katrina |last2=Mo |first2=Allison |last3=Atmuri |first3=Kiran |date=2022-03-01 |title=Desiderosmia: a manifestation of iron deficiency in pregnancy |url=https://casereports.bmj.com/content/15/3/e248220 |journal=BMJ Case Reports |language=en |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=e248220 |doi=10.1136/bcr-2021-248220 |issn=1757-790X |pmid=35260407|pmc=8905916 }} Desiderosmia has also been observed in some cases of major depression without iron deficiency.{{Cite journal |last1=Layek |first1=Avik Kumar |last2=Makhal |first2=Manabendra |last3=Majumder |first3=Uttam |last4=Sarkar |first4=Sharmila |date=July 2024 |title=Unusual presentation of desiderosmia in major depressive disorder: A case series of four patients from Eastern India |journal=Indian Journal of Psychiatry |language=en-US |volume=66 |issue=7 |pages=665–667 |doi=10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_914_23 |doi-access=free |pmid=39257508 |pmc=11382746 |issn=0019-5545}} In both cases, treating the underlying condition relieved the symptom of desiderosmia.
There are a number of hypotheses for physiological mechanisms for this craving, but a cause has not yet been determined.{{Cite journal |last1=Hansen |first1=Bryar R. |last2=Bottner |first2=Wayne A. |last3=Ravindran |first3=Aishwarya |last4=DeJesus |first4=Ramona |last5=Go |first5=Ronald S. |date=2017 |title=A follow-up on desiderosmia (olfactory craving), a novel symptom associated with iron deficiency anemia |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajh.24806 |journal=American Journal of Hematology |language=en |volume=92 |issue=9 |pages=E546 |doi=10.1002/ajh.24806 |pmid=28568111 |issn=1096-8652}}
The condition has been compared to pica, the consumption of non-nutritive substances, but is a distinct condition.{{Cite journal |last=Acik |first=Didar Yanardag |date=2019-04-02 |title=Recognizing the unusual findings: Cases of desiderosmia |journal=Clinical Case Reports |language=en |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=953–954 |doi=10.1002/ccr3.2126 |pmc=6509666 |pmid=31110722}}