It is chronic, lasting many years or even decades with worsening of symptoms rather than spontaneous remission. Transformation to another psychiatric condition is unlikely, although very rarely what appears to be ORS may later manifest into schizophrenia, psychosis, mania, or major depressive disorder. The most significant risk is suicide. When treated, the prognosis is better. In one review, the proportion of treated ORS cases which reported various outcomes were assessed. On average, the patients were followed for 21 months (range: two weeks to ten years). With treatment, 30% recovered (i.e. no longer experienced ORS odor beliefs and thoughts of reference), 37% improved and in 33% there was a deterioration in the condition (including suicide) or no change from the pre-treatment status. Epidemiology
Cases have been reported from many different countries around the world. It is difficult to estimate the prevalence of ORS in the general population because data are limited and unreliable, and due to the delusional nature of the condition and the characteristic secrecy and shame.For unknown reasons, males appear to be affected twice as commonly as females. High proportions of ORS patients are unemployed, single, and not socially active. The average age reported is around 20–21 years, with almost 60% of cases occurring in subjects under 20 in one report, although another review reported an older average age for both males (29) and females (40). History
The term olfactory reference syndrome was first proposed in 1971 by William Pryse-Phillips.
A trichilemmal cyst  is a common cyst that forms from a hair follicle, most often on the scalp, and is smooth, mobile, and filled with keratin, a protein component found in hair, nails, skin, and horns. Trichilemmal cysts are clinically and histologically distinct from trichilemmal horns, hard tissue that is much rarer and not limited to the scalp. Rarely, these cysts may grow more extensively and form rapidly multiplying trichilemmal tumors, also called proliferating trichilemmal cysts, which are benign, but may grow aggressively at the cyst site. Very rarely, trichilemmal cysts can become cancerous. Classification
Trichilemmal cysts may be classified as sebaceous cysts, although technically speaking are not sebaceous. "True" sebaceous cysts,  which originate from sebaceous glands and which contain sebum, are relatively rare and are known as steatocystoma simplex or, if multiple, as steatocystoma multiplex. Medical professionals have suggested that the term "sebaceous cyst" be avoided since it can be misleading. : 31  In practice, however, the term is still often used for epidermoid and pilar cysts. Pathogenesis
Trichilemmal cysts are derived from the outer root sheath of the hair follicle. Their origin is currently unknown, but they may be produced by budding from the external root sheath as a genetically determined structural aberration. They arise preferentially in areas of high hair follicle concentrations, so 90% of cases occur on the scalp. They are solitary in 30% and multiple in 70% of cases.Histologically, they are lined by stratified squamous epithelium that lacks a granular cell layer and are filled with compact "wet" keratin.