Linda61: That explains my own situation. For years I would smell cigarette smoke. (I grew up with both parents smoking in the house. I'd like to add my father never smoked until he joined the Army Airforce in WWII and the GIs were given cigarettes for free, I think to have them all addicted when they got out) Anyway, I went to an ENT many times for a constant burning sensation in my left nostril and pain above my left eyebrow. The ENT would bring up the actual MRI scan on the computer in his office and say, "no sinus infection." Then the ENT retired and I went to the Ear/Nose/Throat guy who replaced him. I said, "I recently found out I have a meningioma. Could that be causing my burning nostril and eyebrow pain? (I never thought to bring up smelling cigarette smoke.) He said "no" and ordered a new MRI and once again said "no sinus infection" as the prior doctor did. After 5 years of smelling cigarette smoke I started to get a kind of double vision my eye doctor called "ghosting." I self referred to a neurologist. I told him despite the fact that my primary care doctor, ENT, and oncologist all told me not to worry about the meningioma in my brain that I thought it was causing my problems. He brought up all my scans on the computer in his office and agreed it could be causing my symptoms. He referred me out of my health care network. And this is the crux of my reply. (My husband says I'm not known for my short stories.) I saw the neurosurgeon at UCSF as a pre-visit for surgery to remove the 2.7 cm. meningioma that was pressing on my optic nerve and was compromising my vision. As an aside, as the neurosurgeon was shutting down his computer with the scans, he said, "By the way, you have a sinus infection. It's chronic." (meaning not acute, sudden onset) This chronic sinus infection was caused by the meningioma, a foreign body inflaming my sinus cavity. After the craniotomy to remove the meningioma I no longer have a burning nostril, pain above my eyebrow, or smell cigarette smoke. (except if I travel to states that allow smoking in their restaurants) So, the cause of smelling the cigarette smoke was the chronic sinus infection. Makes sense but I never connected the two until I saw your post.