[Cytologic evaluation of nasal mucosa in healthy newborns]

Cytological evaluation of the nasal mucosa is one of the methods used in the diagnosis of upper respiratory diseases. Cytological examination of the nasal mucosa in very young children have sporadically been performed. In our study the evaluation was performed in 4 hospitals in 3 towns (Warsaw, Czestochowa, Bielsko-Biała) in Poland. Cytograms of 105 infants age 1-7 days of both sexes were evaluated. All the infants were born naturally, on time and were healthy, according to the opinion of physicians. The course of pregnancies and birth-giving were considered as normal. There were no history of allergic diseases in the families in each case. Cytograms of the nasal mucosa of 1-7 days old infants differ from these of adults and older children. Either columnar cells or neutrrophils are prevalent in cytograms of the healthy newborn children. Goblet cells do not occur. Cytological evaluation of nasal mucosa as non-invasive and easy to perform examination can be very useful in screening of the very young children from the group with a risk of respiratory system disorders including allergic diseases.