An increase in female infertility has not been clearly documented and is still the subject of intense debate. Kartagener's Syndrome is a variant of PCD that results from a combination of bronchiectasis, chronic sinusitis and situs inversus totalis. Accordingly, Kartagener's syndrome has a prevalence of approximately 1 in every 32,000 births. In order to diagnose or confirm PCD, either a nasal biopsy or a sperm sample must be obtained. Ideally, samples should be obtained from two separate sites.
Common practice calls for scraping a cytology brush along the middle and inferior turbinates.
The saline component should then be wet-mounted and viewed under a light microscope within thirty minutes of sampling. A properly mounted specimen will enable the pathologist to examine ciliary motion, or lack thereof. The formalin and glutaraldehyde fixed tissue can then be used for further histological analysis and electron microscopy, respectively. Treatment of PCD is primarily targeted against upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Drug choice is usually based upon organisms cultured, although antimicrobials are often used to suppress colonization.