NASAL LAVAGE CYTOMETRY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF NONALLERGIC RHINITIS WITH EOSINOPHILIA SYNDROME (NARES)

The nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia syndrome (NARES) is a type of chronic rhinitis, characterized by intense (>20%) eosinophilia of t he nasal secretions. In this study, screening for NARES in 81 patients with nonallergic chronic rhinitis was performed using a modified nasa l lavage cytometric method. Twenty-one of the 81 investigated individu als (25.9%) showed nasal eosinophilia greater than 20%, therefore bein g diagnosed as having NARES. No statistical difference in total serum IgE concentration (Prist Pharmacia) was observed between the NARES sub jects and those with other forms of chronic rhinitis, confirming the s eemingly nonallergic nature of NARES. In 28.6% of these cases the pres ence of anosmia was detected; in 19.0% of cases with NARES (all subjec ts complaining of long-lasting symptoms and suffering from anosmia), n asal polyposis coexisted. Our results confirm that nasal lavage cytome try may represent a useful clinical tool in the diagnosis of chronic r hinitis.