Feasibility of flow cytometry in the rhinologist's clinic

The assessment of the inflammatory pattern in patients with rhinitis is conventionally performed by nasal cytology 1. However, some studies investigated nasal inflammation by flow cytometry, even though most aimed at evaluating issues far from conventional rhinology 2-8. Flow cytometry allows to define a series of additional aspects in comparison with traditional nasal cytology, including cellular volume and density, the antigenic and genetic cellular pattern, and the functional state, such as activation. Moreover, flow cytometry is automated and well standardised, so it may be considered as a precise and accurate method to analyse the cellular pattern in nasal inflammation. On the contrary, it is usually considered expensive and laborious, as requires adequate machinery and well-trained staff.