[Goiter of the tongue base and bilateral perceptive impairment of hearing]

A women aged 24 years with congenital perceptive impairment of hearing, was referred to an ear, nose and throat department on account of dysphonia. It was found that the only functioning thyroid tissue was in the midline at the base of the tongue. The combination of congenital perceptive impairment of hearing and goitre at the base of the tongue has only been described once previously and was, on that occasion, associated with mental retardation. The present author's patient was of normal intelligence.