eMedicine Specialties > Pulmonology > Congenital Disorders

Kartagener Syndrome: Follow-up

Author: John P Bent lll, MD, Associate Professor, Director of Medical Student Education, Departments of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatrics, Albert Einstein School of Medicine; Director, Airway Clinic, Children's Hospital at Montefiore
Coauthor(s): Esther X Vivas, MD, Staff Physician, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Apr 2, 2009

Follow-up

Prognosis

Chronic childhood infections can be very debilitating, but the range and severity of clinical symptoms is wide. Fortunately, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and Kartagener syndrome (KS) usually become less problematic near the end of the patient's second decade, and many patients have near normal adult lives.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

While physicians may be accused of failing to diagnose PCD, currently, these disorders are not known for their medicolegal risks.

Special Concerns

  • Future and controversies
    • In vitro fertilization holds promise for fertility problems.
    • The field of genetics holds the best hope for future advances in diagnosis and therapy.
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author, Matthew Olearczyk, MD, to the development and writing of this article.



More on Kartagener Syndrome

Overview: Kartagener Syndrome
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Kartagener Syndrome
Treatment & Medication: Kartagener Syndrome
Follow-up: Kartagener Syndrome
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

Kartagener syndrome, KS, immotile cilia syndrome, primary ciliary dyskinesia, PCD, situs inversus, chronic sinusitis, bronchiectasis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

John P Bent lll, MD, Associate Professor, Director of Medical Student Education, Departments of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatrics, Albert Einstein School of Medicine; Director, Airway Clinic, Children's Hospital at Montefiore
John P Bent lll, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Medical Association, American Rhinologic Society, American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Society for Ear, Nose and Throat Advances in Children, and Society of University Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Esther X Vivas, MD, Staff Physician, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
Esther X Vivas, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Ryland P Byrd Jr, MD, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, James H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University; Chief of Pulmonary Medicine, Medical Director of Respiratory Therapy, Intensive Care Unit, Program Director of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, James H Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Ryland P Byrd Jr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society, and Southern Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Daniel R Ouellette, MD, FCCP, Associate Professor of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Service, Henry Ford Health System
Daniel R Ouellette, MD, FCCP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians and American Thoracic Society
Disclosure: Boehringer Ingleheim Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Pfizer Honoraria Speaking and teaching

CME Editor

Timothy D Rice, MD, Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Timothy D Rice, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Zab Mosenifar, MD, Director, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Director, Women's Guild Pulmonary Disease Institute, Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center; Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Zab Mosenifar, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, and American Thoracic Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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