CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS, BRONCHITIS AND SI TUS-INVERSUS IN 2 ENGLISH COCKER-SPANIEL LITTERMATES - PRIMARY CILIARY DYSKINESIA

Two cases of suspected primary ciliary dyskinesia in two five-year-old English cockerspaniel littermates are described. Both dogs suffered f rom chronic nasal discharge and coughing beginning at a young age. In both dogs radiographic examination showed situs inversus totalis. To c onfirm the diagnosis specimens of the nasal mucosa were examined by el ectron microscopy, but no evident changes in ciliary ultrastructure we re found. In addition videoanalysis of ciliary function in specimens o f nasal mucosa of one dog was done using a phase-contrast microscope. Besides regions of normal beat pattern, regions with an asynchronous c iliary beat pattern were found. This leads to an insufficient mucocili ary clearance, which explains the observed clinical signs.