Disorder - Kartagener's Syndrome

Organ Systems Involved
Respiratory

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Situs inversus totalis

Alternative Names
Primary ciliary dyskinesia; Immotile cilia syndrome

Presenting Signs

Kartagener’s syndrome involves two major inherited abnormalities (primary ciliary dyskinesia and situs inversus) that are found in combination with one another.


• <strong>Primary ciliary dyskinesia:</strong> A normal cat’s lung consists of cells that have thousands of cilia (fine hairlike projections) on the surface. These cilia beat forming a wave-like motion not dissimilar to a Mexican wave at a football stadium. The function of this wave is to clear the mucus and inhaled contaminants from the lung. In primary ciliary dyskinesia these cilia don’t beat properly. Affected cats are prone to lung infections, often have increased breathing rate and often have a chronic cough.
  
  Cilia are also responsible for the movement of sperm. Hence male cats affected with this disease are often infertile as the sperm are unable to travel up the female reproductive tract to the egg.
  
  
• <strong>Situs inversus:</strong> Situs inversus is a condition where the major organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions. For example the heart, which is usually located more in the left side of the chest, is more within the right side of the chest in situs inversus affected animals. On its own situs inversus does not make an animal sick, however it is often present in animals that have the primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Cats at Risk

Young cats, with clinical signs typically appearing shortly after birth.

Treatment

Medical: treatment includes physiotherapy, medications that help clear the mucus from the lungs and vaccinations. Treatment is expensive and life long.

Contributor
Lucy Parker