Transitory ultrastructural abnormalities of cilia.
We report a patient with chronic respiratory tract disease and ultrastructural abnormalities of nasal cilia at first interpreted as being consistent with a primary ciliary defect. Subsequent sampling of nasal ciliated epithelium from the same area failed to reveal the defects of structure. Abnormalities of ciliary ultrastructure found on a single occasion, especially in the presence of acute inflammation, should be interpreted with caution.
D002648:Child; D002923:Cilia / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009666:Nose / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000473:pathology*