NASAL cytology: practical aspects and clinical relevance

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Cytopathology
• Diagnostic Pathology

Background:

• Nasal cytology is a safe and straightforward diagnostic procedure.
• It enables the assessment of nasal mucosa's normal and pathological states.
• Analysis involves identifying and quantifying cell types and their morphology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of nasal cytology in diagnosing various nasal conditions.
• To demonstrate how cell type identification aids in disease discrimination.
• To highlight its role in integrating standard diagnostic procedures.

Main Methods:

• Nasal scraping followed by May-Grunwald-Giemsa staining.
• Optical microscopy for reading and cell identification.
• Identification of normal cells, inflammatory cells, bacteria, and fungi.

Main Results:

• Successfully identifies normal cells (ciliated, mucinous) and inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, mast cells).
• Detects microorganisms like bacteria and fungi (hyphae/spores).
• Specific cytological patterns help differentiate viral infections, allergic rhinitis, and vasomotor rhinitis, leading to classifications like NARES, NARESMA, and NARMA.

Conclusions:

• Nasal cytology is a valuable tool for diagnosing and understanding nasal diseases.
• It provides detailed insights that complement existing diagnostic methods.
• The procedure serves as a useful research instrument for both diagnosis and therapeutic strategies.