The Immotile Cilia Syndrome: A Cause of Recurrent Pulmonary Disease in Children

Immotile cilia syndrome was diagnosed in two male siblings, aged 32 months and 5 years, who had recurrent pneumonia, wheezing, and bronchitis. The youngest child had recurrent atelectasis, chronic sinusitis, recurrent otitis media, and failure to thrive. Neither child had situs inversus. Electron micrographs done on nasal mucosal biopsies revealed absent dynein arms. Symptoms were controlled in the younger brother by using daily antihistamine-decongestant and bronchodilator therapy. The immotile cilia syndrome must be considered in children before labeling chronic respiratory disease as idiopathic.