[Incomplete ciliary axonema: anther cause of ciliary dysmotility syndrome?].

Immotile cilia syndrome is associated with different ciliary defects, although the clinical presentation is similar in every case. A study was made of a 36-year-old woman with recurrent respiratory infections since birth, chronic sinusitis and chronic bronchitis with bronchiectasias. Her medical history included a tubaric pregnancy and two miscarriages. Nasal mucociliary transport was investigated on two occasions at a 1-year interval using an isotopic technique. Ciliary ultrastructure was studied by electron microscopy after obtaining two biopsies from the inferior and middle turbinates separated by a 1-year interval. The sweat test and blood immunoglobulins were normal. The absence of mucociliary transport was verified on both occasions. An abnormality was observed in 30% of the cilia in the form of semicircular ciliary cross-sections, with only 7 pairs of peripheral microtubules. The central pair was normal. We termed this anomaly "incomplete ciliary axonema" and believe that it could be another cause of immotile cilia syndrome.