Abstract
We report a 22-year-old male, who presented in 2020 to a clinic in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, with a 5-year history of a fixed preoccupation with the belief of emitting a ‘plastic smell’ from his anal region. This case illustrates a clinically significant link with a history of childhood sexual abuse. The patient was diagnosed with olfactory reference disorder (ORD) with poor insight and comorbid depressive disorder, based on ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR criteria. Extensive medical workups ruled out organic causes. He responded well to a combination therapy of sertraline and aripiprazole, showing significant symptom reduction. This case supports a diathesis-stress model where ORD can manifest as a somatic metaphor for trauma, mediated by experiential avoidance. It highlights the importance of trauma assessment and a neurobiologically informed psychopharmacological approach in managing ORD.
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18295/2075-0528.2950
- Journal
- Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 26(1), 5-12
- Publisher
- Sultan Qaboos University
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-ND 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
Ocak, D., & Yucens, B. (2026). A Case Report of Olfactory Reference Disorder with Childhood Trauma: Aetiological and neurobiological insights. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 26(1), 5-12. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2950
MLA 9
Ocak, Davut, and Bengu Yucens. "A Case Report of Olfactory Reference Disorder with Childhood Trauma: Aetiological and neurobiological insights." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, 2026, pp. 5-12. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2950.
Chicago (author–date)
Ocak, Davut, and Bengu Yucens. 2026. "A Case Report of Olfactory Reference Disorder with Childhood Trauma: Aetiological and neurobiological insights." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 26 (1): 5-12. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2950.
Harvard
Ocak, D. and Yucens, B. (2026) 'A Case Report of Olfactory Reference Disorder with Childhood Trauma: Aetiological and neurobiological insights', Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 26(1), pp. 5-12. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.2950.
Vancouver
Ocak D, Yucens B. A Case Report of Olfactory Reference Disorder with Childhood Trauma: Aetiological and neurobiological insights. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2026;26(1):5-12. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.2950
IEEE
D. Ocak, and B. Yucens, "A Case Report of Olfactory Reference Disorder with Childhood Trauma: Aetiological and neurobiological insights," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-12, 2026, doi: 10.18295/2075-0528.2950.