Sensorineural hearing loss in children with thalassemia major in Northern Greece.
Eighty eight (88) beta-thalassemic patients undergoing regular transfusion- chelation therapy with desferrioxamine (DFO) were studied for ENT problems from 1988 to 1993, as DFO has been implicated for auditory neurotoxicity. The mean age of the patients was 9.66 +/- 3.1 years, their pre-transfusion haemoglobin level was 9 +/- 2 g/dl, serum ferritin level was 2065 +/- 898 ng/ml and the daily DFO dose was 50.7 +/- 9.5 mg/kg for 5 days/week. The ENT study included, ENT examination, pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, tympanometry, tone decay test and ABR. During this 6-year study 24/88 (27%) patients developed bilateral or ipsilateral sensorineural hearing loss in high tone frequencies, sometimes exceeding 80 dB, which was attributed to DFO toxicity. Therefore, a reduction or temporary withdrawal of DFO followed. After this intervention 12/24 patients recovered almost completely, 7/24 remained stable and 5/24 presented aggravation of their hearing loss. This study confirms the DFO induced auditory neurotoxicity and the necessity of periodical audiology control of beta-thalassemic patients for prompt diagnosis and management of this complication.
Kontzoglou
G
G
E.N.T. Department, Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Koussi
A
A
Tsatra
J
J
Noussios
G
G
Vital
V
V
Sagarakis
G
G
Athanassiou
M
M
D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000931:Antidotes / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000931:Antidotes; D003676:Deferoxamine