SCANNING AND TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC FINDINGS IN CILIA FROMHUMAN NASAL TURBINATE AND SINUS MUCOSA FOLLOWING RESPIRATORY-INFECTION

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscop y (TEM) were used to study the ultrastructure of human respiratory cil ia in 34 patients with chronic or recurrent respiratory infections and 11 control patients. Specimens of pathological mucosa were taken from 12 maxillary sinuses and 22 middle turbinates. Control tissues were t aken from middle turbinates or from sphenoid sinuses during transsphen oidal pituitary surgery. Findings in control tissues or specimens with minimal amounts of pathological findings showed that TEM and SEM find ings correlated well. TEM revealed axoneme structure better, while muc h larger populations of cilia could be studied three-dimensionally wit h SEM. SEM also was the better study when cilia orientations or length s were evaluated. Optimal examination of ciliary ultrastructure requir ed both TEM and SEM studies.