UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Kartagener Syndrome

Category: Pediatrics

Posted: 7/25/2009 by Rose Chasm, MD (Updated: 11/26/2024)
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  • triad of chronic sinusitis, bronchiecctasis, and situs inversus
  • recurrent acute otitis media and nasl polyps also common
  • syndrome is due to an ultrastructural abnormality of the cilia in which dynein arms are absent resulting in ciliary dysfunction and mucus stasis and frequent sinopulmonary infections
  • situs inversus is due to the absence of the influence of cilia function on viscera development
  • diagnosed by bronchoscopy for cilia biopsy

References

Haddad GG. Primary ciliary dyskinesia. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 16th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB SaundersCo; 2000:1327-1328