Cytologic aspects of the nasal respiratory epithelium throughout the menstrual cycle.
A prospective study was performed to investigate the changes in nasal cytology that occur in healthy premenopausal women throughout the menstrual cycle. Eighty-eight women with an ovulatory menstrual cycle underwent nasal sampling with a cytobrush by direct vision of the middle and inferior nasal turbinates during the follicular, periovular, and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, and the specimens were evaluated with the maturation index. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed the cytologic aspects of the nasal respiratory epithelium and of vaginal smears according to the three different phases of the menstrual cycle. Along with the vaginal cells, the nasal respiratory epithelium is an ovarian steroid target.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Agostino
A
Serra
Luigi
L
Maiolino
Marco
M
Farina
Simona
S
Ficarra
Angelo
A
Arcidiacono
Graziella
G
Poli
Salvatore
S
Caruso
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014626:Vaginal Smears