Abnormal length of cilia--a cause of primary ciliary dyskinesia--a case report.

A 7-year-old Turkish boy had suffered from chronic coughing from early childhood. Severe bronchiectasis in the right lung was confirmed by bronchography. Ciliary beat frequency determined in a bronchial mucosal biopsy was markedly decreased (5.7 Hz). Electron microscopy revealed cilia with a length of 15 microns. No structural abnormality was found. A possible link between the abnormally long, slow beating cilia and the clinical symptoms is discussed.