[Auditory evoked potentials in patients after acute children's lymphoblastic leukemia treatment]

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), and especially its treatment often leads to irreversible consequences in the central and peripheral nervous system. ALL and its treatment as well, may cause disturbances of central transmission of acoustic stimuli.

To establish, if testing of egzogenic provoked brain stem potentials can be useful for evaluation of complications of ALL treatment. The issue of analysis was the influence of past ALL and type of therapy on parameters of egzogenic potentials triggered by acoustic stimulus (BAEP) in patients after termination of treatment.

In the group of patients treated with NY program results of middle latencies of the wave I and III were normal, however latencies of wave V and interlatencies of waves I-III, I-IV and III-V were mildly elongated. Latencies and interlatencies elongated above the upper normal range were detected in 4 patients of this group: in one patient elongation of the wave V and interlatencies of waves I-IV and III-V was detected, while in the other one interlatencies of waves I-III and I-V and in the last two patients only interlatencies of waves I-III. In the group of patients treated with BFM 86/87 programs results were similar. Latencies of waves I and III were normal, while mean latencies of wave V and interlatencies of waves I-III, I-V and III-V were mildly elongated. In this group mild pathological elongation of BAEP interlatencies were detected in 5 patients. Non of them had elongation of latencies of waves I, III or V. In one patient elongated interlatencies of waves I-V and III-V were detected, in another one interlatencies of waves I-III, while in other 3 patients elongation of latencies of waves I-V. In the group of patients treated with BFM 95 program latencies of waves I, III and V were normal, while interlatencies of waves I-III, I-V and III-V were mildly elongated. In 2 patients of this group mild elongation of interlatencies of waves I-III or III-V were detected. In each patient of this group, similar as in the group BFM 86/87, latencies of waves I, III and V were normal.

(1) BAEP abnormalities in 22.4% of patients after the treatment of childhood ALL suggest that hearing monitoring in these patients is recommended. (2) Elongation of BAEP interlatencies and latency of wave V in patients after radiation OUN therapy warrant to develop new and less toxic therapies.