title: Hearing loss progression and contralateral involvement in children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We undertook this study to determine the rate of hearing loss progression in the affected ear of children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and without an enlarged vestibular aqueduct, and the rate of new-onset hearing loss in the contralateral ear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the database at our pediatric tertiary care center to identify patients who met the inclusion criteria, examining demographic variables, audiometric data, and presumptive causes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 198 patients. At presentation, they showed slight left-sided and male predominances. Of 142 patients who had sufficient audiometric follow-up for us to evaluate progression, 21% showed ipsilateral progression and 10.6% developed new-onset hearing loss in the contralateral ear. Isolated high-frequency loss was identified in 11 patients (5.6%), 8 of whom had sufficient follow-up for us to identify progression. Two showed progression; 4 others with progression in the ipsilateral ear developed new-onset high-frequency loss in the contralateral ear. Temporal bone anomalies were identified in 26 children (13%), and these children were more likely to have profound hearing loss than were those without temporal bone anomalies (46% versus 23%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that unilateral sensorineural hearing loss may not always be a unilateral process, but that it may be the initial manifestation of bilateral auditory dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alberta, College of Medicine and Dentistry, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Trina C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Uwiera
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DeAlarcon
authors.forename: Jareen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meinzen-Derr
authors.forename: Aliza P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shott
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greinwald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology*; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male