Cytologic evaluation of the nasal epithelium in patients with hay fever.
Seventy two cases of hay fever which were confirmed by scratch tests were used to estimate the state of the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the nose. Cells of the respiratory eptihelium were found in smears from the surface of the mucous membrane in 79per cent of the cases of hay fever. Compared with nose smears from the control group, nose smears from patients with hay fever contained many more cells, predominantly goblet cells. In the cases of hay fever, a very rich cellular material was discovered in the smears from the surface of the mucous membrane of the nose. The chief characteristic feature of those cells is that they appear in clusters. Numerous cells from the respiratory epithelium, mostly goblet cells, were found in nose smears from patients with hay fever. The patterns of smears observed in patients with hay fever are helpful to us in the differential diagnosis in the rhinological laboratory.
D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*