title: Auditory brainstem responses after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: The effect of irradiation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma on auditory brainstem responses and hearing was investigated in 19 otologically normal patients undergoing standard fractionated megavoltage radiotherapy. Auditory brainstem responses and pure tone audiometry were performed before radiotherapy, and at 3 and 12 months after completion of radiotherapy. There were no significant changes in the wave I-III and III-V interpeak intervals, or in sensorineural hearing thresholds (bone conduction at 4 kHz and average of bone conduction at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz), after radiotherapy. In contrast to previous studies, we found no evoked potential evidence of subclinical brainstem damage arising from irradiation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Leighton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Van Hasselt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000528:radiation effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011149:Pons / Q000528:radiation effects