Transposed ciliary microtubules in Kartagener's syndrome. A case report with electron microscopy of bronchial and nasal brushings.

Report is made of the case of a 44-year-old white woman with Kartagener's syndrome marked by respiratory disorders and repeated serous otitis since infancy. The technique of cell sampling through bronchial and nasal brushings facilitated observation of ciliary structures in electron microscopy. The results revealed a specific anomaly in the organization of the ciliary microtubules. The doublet transposition observed may be associated with ciliary dyskinesia.