Ciliary ultrastructure in a child with Kartagener's syndrome. A transmission electron microscopic study using tannic acid staining.

Kartagener's syndrome has been characterized by a primary ultrastructural abnormality of the cilia which consequently impairs their movements. We used transmission electron microscopy with tannic acid staining to investigate the fine structure of the cilia from the nasal mucosa of a 7-year-old girl with Kartagener's syndrome. The staining technique employed was useful for visualizing the dynein arms and protofilaments of the microtubules of the cilia. Although 15% of the cilia examined demonstrated microtubular disarrangements, these findings were considered to be acquired changes due to chronic sinusitis. No abnormal ciliary ultrastructures specific to Kartagener's syndrome, such as absence of dynein arms, were detected in this study. In such cases without any abnormal ciliary ultrastructures, it is conceivable that some other unknown factor may be involved in the impaired ciliary movement.