ABNORMAL LENGTH OF CILIA AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF DEFECTIVE MUCOCILIARY CLEARANCE

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (3) , 173-180
Abstract
A 12-yr-old girl with obstructive lung disease was examined with respect to the ultrastructure of her nasal mucociliate epithelium. She had the characteristics of the immotile-cilia syndrome: chronic rhinitis, sinusitis and bronchitis, a severely decreased mucociliary clearance of the lungs, and nasal polyps. The nasal cilia showed a normal cross-sectional appearance, but were found to have twice the normal length: 12 .mu.m rather than 6 .mu.m. The patient represents a new subgroup of the immotile-cilia syndrome, and her cilia are unable to perform their normal tasks.

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