E. Toskala et al., THE CORRELATION OF MUCOCILIARY TRANSPORT AND SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF NASAL-MUCOSA, Acta oto-laryngologica, 115(1), 1995, pp. 61-65
The ciliary ultrastructure studied by scanning electron microscopy (SE
M), nasal mucociliary transport rate (MTR) measured by a radioisotopic
method and their correlation with each other were studied in 56 patie
nts with recurrent or chronic respiratory infections. Patients were di
vided into three groups according to MTR. The number of pathological S
EM findings increased remarkably in groups with moderate or poor MTR.
Loss of ciliated cells and microvilli were seen in 86% of specimens wi
th poor MTR, in 71% with moderate MTR, and in 50% with good MTR. There
was ciliary disorientation in 45% of cases with poor MTR compared wit
h 25% in cases with good MTR. Epithelial metaplasia and the number of
short cilia increased in groups with poor or moderate MTR.