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. 2007 Nov-Dec;21(6):702-5.
doi: 10.2500/ajr.2007.21.3107.

Nasal scraping in diagnosing ciliary dyskinesia

Giuseppi Caruso  1 , Matteo Gelardi, Giulio C Passali, Maria M de Santi
Affiliations

Nasal scraping in diagnosing ciliary dyskinesia

Giuseppi Caruso et al. Am J Rhinol. 2007 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a congenital, clinically and ultrastructurally heterogeneous disease caused by abnormal structure and/or function of cilia. Kartagener's syndrome is one subgroup of PCD. Acquired ciliary dyskinesia is frequent, generally being associated with or following respiratory tract infections.

Methods: From January 2003 to April 2006, nasal mucociliary transport time was measured in 64 patients and specimens obtained by nasal scraping were examined by transmission electron microscope (TEM).

Results: The 64 nasal scrapings led to the diagnosis of 11 (17.2%) cases of PCD and 51 (79.7%) cases of secondary ciliary disorder. In two cases (3.1%) no clear diagnosis was possible.

Conclusion: Nasal scraping is an easy, cheap, and efficient tool for detecting ciliary abnormalities by TEM and for distinguishing acquired and congenital modifications.

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