Currently the role of nasal cytology in the diagnosis of chronic sinusitis is not well defined. Therefore, we compared the results of nasal cytology with the results of sinus radiography in 300 patients with allergic rhinitis who had both tests performed as part of their initial allergy evaluation. Radiography was significantly more likely to be positive when there were >5 neutrophils/high-power field or <5 eosinophils/high-power field on nasal cytology. These findings were fairly sensitive but nonspecific as predictors of radiographic pathology.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ZimmermanB.Prevalence of abnormalities found by X-rays in childhood asthma: lack of relation to severity of asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol80: 268, 1987.
2.
RachelefskyG.S., KatzR.M., SiegelS.C.Chronic sinus disease with associated reactive airway disease in children. Pediatrics72: 526–529, 1984.
3.
RachelefskyG.S.Chronic sinus disease with associated induced reactive airways disease in children. J Allergy Clin Immunol71: 156, 1983.
4.
NsouliT.M.Sinusitis as a hidden potential trigger of bronchial asthma. Ann Allergy60: 179, 1987.
RachelefskyG.S.Sinus disease in children with respiratory allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol61: 310, 1978.
7.
RachelefskyG.S.Diseases of the paranasal sinuses in children. In BiermanC.W., PearlmanD.S., eds. Allergic Diseases of Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence.Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1980, pp 526–535.
8.
WilsonN.W.Sinusitis: Comparison of nasal cytology and X-rays. Ann Allergy60: 185, 1987.
