"SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN WITH END-STAGE RENAL DISEASE"

Abstract

One of the complications of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Despite large number of studies on adults ESRD patients, there are only a few reported surveys regarding SNHL in children. To determine the prevalence of SNHL in children with ESRD and its relationship with sex of patients, presence of hypertension, history of ototoxic drugs administration and duration of dialysis, we evaluated 30 children and adolescents suffering from ESRD who were under hemodialysis therapy with standard pure-tone audiometry. The ages of children were 5-17.5 years (mean 12 years). Patients with Alport’s syndrome and other hereditary or congenital syndromes involving the ears were excluded from the study. SNHL was detected in 9 patients (30%); 3 children had unilateral and 6 had bilateral SNHL (15 ears). In all of these 15 ears SNHL was in high frequencies (4000-8000 Hz). In 10 ears (66%) also there was SNHL in middle frequencies and in 7 ears (46.6%)there was hearing loss in all frequencies (250-8000 Hz). The severity of SNHL was mild in 7, moderate in 9, severe in 13 and profound in 3 ears in at least one frequency. There was no significant relationship between SNHL and sex of patients, presence of hypertension, history of ototoxic drugs administration and duration of dialysis (P values were 0.8107, 0.3217, 0.69, 0.087, respectively). SNHL is common in children and adolescents with ESRD and must be considered in rehabilitation of these children; the etiology of this impairment is not clear.