THE INFERIOR TURBINATE MAST-CELL POPULATION OF PATIENTS WITH PERENNIAL ALLERGIC AND NONALLERGIC RHINITIS

The number of mast cells in the inferior turbinates of patients with p erennial allergic rhinitis and perennial nonallergic rhinitis was comp ared with normal controls. Mast cell counts expressed as the mean numb er in 100 high-power fields, assessed after Carnoy's fixation and tolu idine blue staining were 1.84 in normal controls (n=11), 4.39 in patie nts with perennial allergic rhinitis (n=13), and 4.00 in those with pe rennial nonallergic rhinitis (n=26). Statistical analysis confirmed th at the density of mast cells in allergic as well as in nonallergic pat ients was significantly higher than in normal controls, whereas no sig nificant difference was found between the number of mast cells in alle rgic and nonallergic patients. It is concluded that the number of mast cells in the inferior turbinate mucosa of patients with perennial rhi nitis is increased compared with normal controls, and the increased nu mber is not necessarily allergy-dependent.