Protocol for a Modified Delphi Consensus Study on the * Clinical Assessment of Children with Suspected Olfactory Dysfunction

Background Olfactory dysfunction (OD) affects approximately 22% of the general population, yet children account for only around 2% of specialist olfactory clinic attendees -- a striking disparity that likely reflects systematic under-detection rather than lower disease prevalence. There are currently no internationally endorsed clinical guidelines governing the assessment of children with suspected OD. A recent international survey of 167 paediatric otolaryngologists across 36 countries found that more than half never perform psychophysical olfactory testing, a majority routinely order neuroimaging, and that multidisciplinary collaboration is largely lacking - findings that collectively moti