Question

What is ciliary dyskinesia?

Answer 1

Ciliary dyskinesia is a genetic disorder that occurs very rarely and affects the movement and functioning of the cilia that are the small hair-like projections found in the respiratory tract of an individual.

Complete answer:
Ciliary dyskinesia is also known as the Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) which is a rare genetic disorder and is autosomal recessive in nature. This disorder affects the cilia that are found in the respiratory tract of an individual resulting in various defects in them. The respiratory tract where these cilia are found and are affected are the middle ear, eustachian tube, lower and upper sinuses. The cilia are also found in the fallopian tube of the female reproductive system, in the flagella of the male gametes called sperm cells. This order does not completely cease the movement of the cilia in fact the movement of cilia becomes unsynchronized and insufficient.
The normal motile cilia cells present in the respiratory tract are responsible for the synchronized movement of the mucus towards the throat. These cilia are small hair-like structures. The normal cilia function about a number of beats per second which is approximately 7 to 22 beats per second. If there is any change in the movement then it will result in the condition called poor mucociliary clearance. It leads to the infection in the respiratory tract that includes sinuses, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc. These diseases may take a severe turn when left untreated for long. In the case of males, it may also lead to infertility which may result in the immobility of the sperms. The side effects of this disease may also result in the loss of senses that may include the loss of hearing sense, loss of sense of smell, or severe breathing problems resulting in the lung transplant. The disease may not be able to be diagnosed at an earlier stage but if treated on time then will cause fewer problems.

Note:
The term Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) was first coined by Rossman and coworkers in 1981 as he observed some patients whose cilia was unresponsive and uncoordinated towards the movement. It is rarely found in peoples and is found in 1 out of almost 15,000 peoples around the world.