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Published on: January 9, 2019
Effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV) related deafness on pediatric cochlear implant outcomes
Daniel J Lee1, Lawrence Lustig, Margaret Sampson
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Insights
Cochlear implants offer beneficial speech comprehension for children with human cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related deafness. Outcomes align with those of the general pediatric cochlear implant population, highlighting the need for comprehensive rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Audiology
- Virology
Background:
- Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading cause of congenital sensorineural hearing loss in infants.
- CMV infection in newborns can also lead to developmental neurological deficits.
- Pediatric sensorineural hearing loss necessitates effective auditory rehabilitation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of pediatric cochlear implantation in children with deafness caused by CMV.
- To compare cochlear implant outcomes in CMV-deafened children to the broader pediatric implant population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records from a pediatric cochlear implant database.
- Identification of 13 pediatric patients with CMV-related deafness who received cochlear implants.
Main Results:
- The average age at cochlear implantation was 5.6 years.
- Postoperative follow-up ranged from 6 to 48 months.
- Mean speech perception scores achieved were 4.5 out of 6, comparable to the general pediatric population.
Conclusions:
- Cochlear implantation is an effective intervention for restoring useful speech comprehension in pediatric patients with CMV-induced deafness.
- Successful outcomes support the use of cochlear implants for this specific patient group.
- Multidisciplinary rehabilitation is crucial for optimizing outcomes in CMV-deafened children, considering their risk for cognitive delays.
Objective:
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a commonly recognized viral cause of perinatal sensorineural hearing loss. CMV-infected infants are also at risk for developmental neurological deficits. This retrospective study assesses the impact of CMV-induced deafness on pediatric cochlear implant outcomes.
Study Design And Setting:
Thirteen patients from the Johns Hopkins pediatric cochlear implant database were identified with CMV-related deafness. A retrospective review of the medical records of the Johns Hopkins Hospital was performed.
Results:
The mean age at implantation was 5.6 years. Follow-up audiometric data ranged from 6 to 48 months postoperatively. Mean speech perception scores were 4.5 (out of 6) following implantation.
Conclusion:
We have shown that cochlear implants can provide useful speech comprehension to patients with CMV-related deafness. Speech recognition scores were within the range established by our overall pediatric implant population.
Significance:
This observation underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program following implantation in these patients at risk for cognitive delay.