European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: AR is the most common chronic disorder in the pediatric population with up to 40% of children affected. Confirmation of allergen as etiologic agent is difficult in a small setup, where IgE estimation and allergy tests are not accessible. Aim: to evaluate the value of nasal smear eosinophil count as a simple non invasive & inexpensive method for diagnosing allergic rhinitis and its correlation with blood absolute eosinophil count (AEC) in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). Method: Prospective hospital based study of 100 allergic rhinitis pediatric patients. The study duration was 1 year from June, 2015 till May, 2016. Children who attended pediatric out patient department of Dr.B.R. Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, with symptoms of allergic rhinitis were included. A total of 100 such children were taken into the study. Results:  Seventy five percent subjects had eosinophils more than 10 cells/hpf [p = 0.03]. Correlation coefficient between nasal eosinophil and blood eosinophil was positive though weak [r=0.2, p = 0.04]. Conclusion:  Nasal eosinophil count can be used as a weak predictor of blood eosinophil count and a strong predictor of allergic rhinitis.