Kartagener's syndrome

Kartagener's syndrome, characterized by situs inversus, paranasal sinusitis, and bronchiectasis, is part of a more generalized syndrome characterized by sterility in men, chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis, chronic sinusitis, and chronic otitis media; it is referred to as the immotile-cilia syndrome. Those patients with situs inversus will give a typical radiological appearance allowing an early diagnosis; however, in those patients with immotile-cilia syndrome who have normal visceral situs, a high index of suspicion and early electron microscopic examination of respiratory tract cilia will be necessary for early diagnosis and therapy to prevent irreversible bronchiectasis and lung destruction. We describe a young woman with bronchiectasis associated with situs inversus and chronic sinusitis, found to have abnormal respiratory epithelium cilia.