Clinicocytological correlation in establishing the aetiology of chronic rhinitis

Two hundred patients clinically diagnosed as having chronic rhinitis were provisionally grouped into allergic and non-allergic types of rhinitis on the basis of history, clinical examination, X-ray of the paranasal sinuses using the occipitomental view and other relevant investigations like differential and total leucocyte count. Whereas 158 cases were categorized into allergic rhinitis, 13 were diagnosed as suffering from vasomotor rhinitis, 25 from infective rhinitis and 4 patients from atrophic rhinitis. A nasal cytogram performed in all these cases showed allergic rhinitis in 107 cases, vasomotor rhinitis in 30 cases, infective on top of allergic rhinitis in 32 cases, common cold over allergic rhinitis in 3 cases, infective rhinitis in 20 cases, a non-infective non-allergic type in 4 cases and atrophic rhinitis in 4 cases. There was a good clinicocytological correlation; however, 30 patients clinically suspected to be having allergic rhinitis had an infective episode alone or on top of allergic rhinitis. Nasal cytology was thus found useful in modifying the treatment. It is a simple, easy and reliable investigation that can be done routinely in the out-patient department.