title: Sonographic survey of the upper abdomen in 10 families of patients with immotile cilia syndrome.
abstract: Ten patients affected by the immotile cilia syndrome (ICS) and their families received an ultrasound examination of the upper abdomen to observe the possible familial occurrence of biliary, pancreatic, and splenic alterations. In 9 patients the liver was localized in the left hypochondrium, and in 1 patient there was an accessory spleen. In all the examined kin, the subdiaphragmatic organs were normally positioned. Two parents had an accessory spleen. We conclude that the supposed increased frequency of polysplenia, asplenia, and biliary atresia among ICS subjects and their kin is overestimated and based only upon anecdotal reports.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morlupo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stati
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pigna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonelli
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007619:Kartagener Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010375:Pedigree; D013154:Spleen / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography