Abstracto

Values of nasal cytology in chronic rhinitis in Mali (analysis of 100 samples)

SACKO HB, Telly N, Coulibaly S, Sanogo H, Fane S, Bagayogo H D, Bouar

Background: Chronic rhinitis are frequent diseases in rhi-nologic pathology in Mali. Nasal cytology rep-resents a valid method in the differential di-agnosis of allergic and non-allergic nasal dis-eases.

Objective: The aim of this prospective study was to as-sess the usefulness of nasal exudate in the diagnosis of different types of rhinitis.

Materials and Methods: Fifty four patients [34 were female and 20 male, between the age groups of 6-51 years, mean age 27 years] with chronic rhinitis were recruited and evaluated for the following var-iables : symptoms and signs of chronic rhinitis, parana-sal sinus radiograph, and nasal cytology. Forty six normal and healthy persons served as controls. Mucosal cytology samples were gathered by cytobrush, the material is stained by the May-Grunwald-Giemsa method, which allows the detection of all the cellular components of the nasal mucosa. The slide is then observed through a light microscope.

Results: Nasal cytology showed that the rates of the cells (eosinophils and neutrophils) in the control group (N = 46) were negligible and have not ex-ceeded the normal values.Comparisons for eosinophil and neutrophil counts showed that there were statistically significant differences between the CR group (isolated chronic rhinitis) and the control group (with no rhinitis) (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Nasal cytology deserves its place in our diagnostic arsenal of inflammatory chronic rhinitis. This is an easy, reliable and cheaper method. It allows in the absence of some means of diagnosis indicated in the opportunity to move in order to treat patients.