Sensorineural hearing loss in pediatric celiac patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Gastroenterology
• Audiology

Background:

• Celiac disease (CD) is a prevalent autoimmune disorder affecting 0.5-1% globally.
• CD diagnosis rates remain low, with atypical extra-intestinal manifestations, including neurological disorders, aiding detection.
• No prior data existed on sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in pediatric CD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and severity of SNHL across various frequencies in pediatric CD patients.
• To investigate the association between CD and SNHL in a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 32 newly diagnosed pediatric CD patients and 32 matched healthy controls were evaluated.
• Pure-tone audiometry was conducted for all participants across frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz.
• SNHL was defined as a sound detection loss within the 16-40 dB range.

Main Results:

• SNHL was detected in 40.6% of pediatric CD patients, compared to only 3.1% in the control group.
• The prevalence of hearing loss was significantly higher in the CD group (p<0.001).
• SNHL was bilateral in six and unilateral in seven CD patients.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric CD patients exhibit a significantly higher prevalence of SNHL than healthy controls.
• These findings suggest a potential association between celiac disease and sensorineural hearing loss.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore underlying immunological mechanisms.