The immotile cilia syndrome is an autosomal recessive defect characterised by immotility or poor motility of the cilia of the respiratory epithelium and of sperm. Kartagener's syndrome is a subgroup of the immotile cilia syndrome associated with situs inversus, chronic sinusitis, and bronchiectasis. The specific defects of the cilia can usually be defined by the electron-microscopic appearance and include abnormalities in the dynein arms, spokes, or microtubule doublets (Fig. 11.38).
