Mayo Clinic Receives First-Of-Its-Kind Accreditation For Diagnosis Of Primary Ciliary dyskinesia

Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, the academic testing arm for Mayo Clinic Laboratories, has been accredited as a diagnostic site by the PCD Foundation. Mayo Clinic is the first and only center of excellence to receive PCD Foundation accreditation for the diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare and debilitating lung disease.

"This recognition of our laboratory services by the PCD Foundation is a clear reflection of our shared commitment to serve the needs of these patients and their families," says Joseph Maleszewski, M.D., a Mayo Clinic anatomic pathologist.

Mayo Clinic performs electron microscopy testing. Thoracic pathologists provide expert ultrastructure interpretation, an especially complex reading of the results due to the nature of the disease and the way the symptoms present. Through continued research to improve diagnosis and patient care, Mayo Clinic is evaluating additional tests to diagnose primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).

While primary ciliary dyskinesia is a rare disease, Mayo Clinic pathologists are experienced in diagnosing this disease, given the number of cases they receive annually through Mayo Clinic Laboratories, the reference laboratory of Mayo Clinic. The department receives specimens from around the world, helping health care professionals receive diagnostic answers that can be translated into clinical care.

"Access to high-quality diagnostic and treatment for all individuals with primary ciliary dyskinesia is a primary goal of the foundation," says Michele Manion, executive director of the PCD Foundation. "Mayo Clinic pathologists have provided high-quality, reliable ciliary biopsy services to the PCD community for many years, and we are delighted to formalize this relationship by accrediting them as our first diagnostic site, which will work closely with our growing network of over 40 clinical sites.”

Once accredited, testing sites must maintain a high-level of quality and lend their expertise to ongoing quality-improvement efforts to better support diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia.