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Published on: June 14, 2016
[Hearing loss and airway problems in children with mucopolysaccharidoses]
Saturnino Santos1, Laura López, Luis González
1Servicio de ORL, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, España. satursantos@gmail.com
Insights
Children with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) have higher risks of hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). OSAHS may recur more frequently after surgery in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Context:
- Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are rare genetic disorders affecting multiple organ systems.
- Early childhood onset leads to ENT issues like otitis media, hearing loss, and airway obstruction.
Purpose:
- To describe audiological findings and airway pathology in 9 children diagnosed with MPS.
- To evaluate ENT-related health issues in pediatric MPS patients.
Summary:
- A retrospective review of 9 MPS patients (types I, II, IV, VI) revealed chronic middle ear effusions in all.
- Moderate bilateral conductive hearing loss was common; sensorineural and mixed hearing loss occurred in some.
- Four patients had obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) due to Waldeyer ring hyperplasia, with one case complicated by spinal cord compression.
Impact:
- Children with MPS face increased risks of sensorineural hearing loss.
- OSAHS is more prevalent in MPS patients, with higher recurrence rates post-surgery.
- These children require careful airway management due to potential complications.
Introduction:
Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of systemic diseases characterised by a genetic deficiency of lysosomal enzymes that causes the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in different tissues. The onset of symptoms usually occurs in early childhood, causing problems of otitis media, hearing loss and airway obstruction in the ENT area.
Objective:
Describing the audiological findings and airway pathology found in 9 children diagnosed as having MPS.
Methods:
A retrospective review was performed of the clinical and audiological findings, exploratory results and therapeutic ENT procedures for 9 children diagnosed with MPS in an ENT service at a tertiary paediatric public centre in the period 2007-2010.
Results:
Subtypes found were 4 MPS type I, 2 moderate MPS type II, 1 severe MPS type II, 1 MPS type IV and 1 MPS type VI. All patients presented chronic middle ear effusions. A child developed mild bilateral sensorineural hearing loss; another case was diagnosed as mixed hearing loss. The remaining auditory pattern was moderate bilateral conductive hearing loss. Four patients showed secondary obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) due to Waldeyer ring hyperplasia; surgery could not be performed on one of them because of cervical spinal cord compression from mucopolysaccharide deposits. In 2 cases, there was OSAHS relapse.
Conclusions:
Children with MPS are at increased risk for developing sensorineural hearing loss. The OSAHS syndrome appears in greater proportion than in the general child population, and recurrences may occur more frequently after surgery. Such children can also be risk patients in airway management.
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