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Audiological findings of shunt-treated hydrocephalus in children
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Oulu, Finland.
Insights
Thirty-eight percent of shunt-treated hydrocephalic children experienced sensorineural high-frequency hearing loss, with many cases identified as retrocochlear. Etiological differences minimally impacted hearing thresholds in this cohort.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Audiology
Background:
- Hydrocephalus is a condition characterized by excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.
- Shunt placement is a common treatment for hydrocephalus in children.
- Long-term audiological effects of hydrocephalus treatment require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the audiological status of children treated for hydrocephalus with shunts.
- To identify the prevalence and type of hearing loss in this population.
Main Methods:
- Audiological examinations including pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, and stapedius reflex testing were performed.
- Participants were 47 children with hydrocephalus treated with shunts, with a mean age of 10.4 years.
- Etiology of hydrocephalus was categorized into five groups.
Main Results:
- A significant proportion of children (38%) exhibited sensorineural high-frequency hearing loss.
- Eleven of these cases were classified as retrocochlear hearing loss.
- Minimal differences in mean hearing thresholds were observed across different etiological groups.
Conclusions:
- Sensorineural high-frequency hearing loss is a notable complication in shunt-treated pediatric hydrocephalus.
- Retrocochlear impairments are a common subtype of hearing loss in this group.
- Hydrocephalus etiology did not significantly correlate with hearing threshold variations.
Abstract:
47 hydrocephalic children (mean age 10.4 years) were examined on average 7.9 years after initial shunting. The etiology of hydrocephalus was classified into 5 groups as follows: perinatal intraventricular hemorrhage 19, congenital obstructive hydrocephalus 15, intracranial cysts 5, severe intracranial anomalies 4 and central nervous system infections 4 children. Audiological examination included pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, registration of stapedius reflex thresholds and adaptation. A sensorineural high-frequency hearing loss was found in 18 (38%) of 47 examined shunt-treated hydrocephalic children, and 11 of the losses could be classified as the retrocochlear type. The differences of the mean hearing thresholds between the etiological groups of childhood hydrocephalus were minimal.