Radioisotopic method for measurement of nasal mucociliary activity.

A single droplet of technetium Tc 99m-marked human serum albumin is placed on the floor of the nasal meatus about 1 cm behind the mucocutaneous junction and its course is followed with a gamma camera. The velocity of mucociliary transport was, on average, 9.0 mm/min, with a range of 5.8 to 13.5 mm/min, in adults. When the measurement was performed on four healthy children aged 2, 5, 6, and 15 years, the velocity of mucociliary transport was 6.0 to 9.6 mm/min. The method is safe, easy, quick, and places no strain on the patient. It is, therefore, very suitable for clinical work, eg, for study of impaired mucociliary function in patients with respiratory diseases, including immotile cilia syndrome.