Evaluation of hearing impairment in leprosy patients taking multidrug therapy

Present descriptive study was carried out for the assessment of hearing capability in leprosy patients. After getting approval from Institutional ethical committee, the present descriptive study was carried out on 60 subjects. All the patients were indoor-patients at the Leprosy Rehabilitation Center Maharogi Sewa Samiti Anandvan Warora, and were on multidrug therapy described by World Health Organization from an average period of 6 months. Study Group I consisted of 30 diagnosed Leprosy patients taking multidrug therapy from an average period of 6 months. Group II (Control group) consisted of 30 normal healthy individuals of same age. Patients suffering from acute or chronic ear discharge, Presence of wax in external auditory canal, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, impaired renal function and patients having history of trauma were excluded from the study. All the subjects underwent Pure tone audiometry, Tuning Fork test to check the level of hearing loss and type of hearing loss and detailed clinical examination for cranial nerve function was done in all the patients of study group and control group. Audiometry findings in study group patients showed that 23 patients (76.66%; 45 ears) of the leprosy patients had sensory neural hearing impairment and 7 patients (23.33%) showed normal hearing. Out of these affected patients, 10 patients (43.47%; 19 ears) had mild sensory neural hearing impairment, 10 patients (43.47%; 20 ears) had moderate sensory neural hearing impairment. 2 patients (8.69%; 04 ears) had moderate to severe hearing impairment, 1 patient (4.34%; 02 ears) showed severe sensory neural hearing impairment. In the absence of any local or systemic disease or drugs likely to have side effects on the cochleovestibular function, leprosy affects the cochleovestibular system, and effect on cochlear function is seen more often than effect on the vestibular system. Thus hearing loss which is seen in patients suffering from Hansen's disease is of cochlear origin.