title: Cilia and Ear.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of otological complications derived from primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with diagnosed PCD underwent medical history aimed at recording the presence of ear, nose, and throat manifestations (ENT) and any surgical treatments. The ENT objectivity was annotated, and then patients were subjected to audiometric test, tympanometry, registration of otoacoustic emission, and vestibular evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Otitis media with chronic middle ear effusion (OME) during childhood was reported in 52% of the subjects, no patient had undergone ear surgery, and only 2 patients had an episode of otitis in the last year. Eleven of 23 patients showed normal hearing, 11 had a conductive hearing impairment, and 1 showed a severe sensorineural hearing loss unrelated to the syndrome. The bilateral stapedial reflex was only found in all cases of normoacusia and type A tympanogram, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) were present in 8 patients, and no patient had vestibular alterations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms a very frequent prevalence of OME in PCD during childhood. Careful monitoring of otological complications of the syndrome is always desirable, also given the high presence in adults of other manifestations in the upper airways, such as chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Division of Bronchopneumology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Gioia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piatti
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Siena, Siena, Toscana, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Margherita
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: De Santi
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Division of Otolaryngology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Lombardia, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torretta
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Division of Otolaryngology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Lombardia, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pignataro
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Division of Audiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Lombardia, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soi
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Division of Audiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Lombardia, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ambrosetti
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007619:Kartagener Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063371:Myringosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous / Q000502:physiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D013198:Stapedius / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: adults; audiology; ear; otitis media; otological diseases; primary ciliary dyskinesia