De Santis A, Morlupo M, Cedola M, Peri C, Stati T, Pigna M, Antonelli M: Echographic survey of upper abdomen of 10 families of patients with immotile cilia syndrome.
Ten patients affected by the immotile cilia syndrome (ICS) and their families
received an ultrasound examination of the upper abdomen to observe the possible
familial occurence of biliary, pancreatic, and splenic alterations. In 9 patients the liver
was localized in the left hypochondrium, and in 1 patient there was an accessory
spleen. In all the examined kin, the subdiaphragmatic organs were normally positioned.
Two parents had an accessory spleen. We conclude that the supposed increased
frequency of polysplenia, asplenia, and biliary atresia among ICS subjects and their
kin is overestimated and based only upon anecdotal reports