Kartagener's Syndrome in a Child: a Six year Follow-up.

Abstract

Summary: A four-year old boy with Kartagener's syndrome is reported because of its rarity and being the first case to our knowledge, to be documented in Nigeria. There was situs inversus with visceroatrial concordance. During a six-year follow up, the child was admit ted only twice to the hospital as a result of recurrent sinopulmonary infections. He continued to do well with no radiological evidence of progression of the bronchiectasis on regular chest physiotherapy and antibiotics, given during periods of exacerbation of the respiratory infections. Growth monitoring over a period of six years from age 4 years in 1990 to age 10 years in 1996 however, showed that the child's weight was on or below the 5th percentile and the height oscillated around the 25 percentile on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) charts. Prompt and adequate chest physiotherapy and administration of antibiotics are essential to prevent progression of bronchiectasis in Kartagener's syndrome.