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Published on: February 29, 2020
Ophthalmic Abnormalities among Children Treated with Cochlear Implants
Ziya Ayhan1, Serpil Mungan Durankaya2, Gül Arıkan1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
Insights
A significant number of children receiving cochlear implants have ocular abnormalities. Early ophthalmic consultation is crucial for identifying and managing these vision issues in pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Cochlear implantation is a common treatment for severe to profound hearing loss in children.
- Ocular abnormalities may coexist with hearing loss and impact overall development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and types of ocular abnormalities in children undergoing cochlear implant surgery.
- To emphasize the importance of comprehensive eye examinations in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 51 children under 18 years old with severe to profound hearing loss receiving cochlear implants.
- Detailed ophthalmic examinations including visual acuity, refraction, motility, slit-lamp, and fundus evaluations were performed.
Main Results:
- 25.4% of children had at least one ophthalmic abnormality.
- Common findings included refractive errors (hyperopia, astigmatism), strabismus, amblyopia, nystagmus, microcornea, and cataracts.
- Congenital syndromes associated with ocular and auditory deficits were also noted.
Conclusions:
- Children undergoing cochlear implantation are at risk for various ocular abnormalities.
- Routine ophthalmological consultation is recommended to detect and treat potentially vision-impairing conditions.
Objectives:
To review the ocular abnormalities in children treated with cochlear implant.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 51 children (29 boys, 22 girls) who were under 18 years old, presented previously with severe to profound hearing loss, and underwent cochlear implantation surgery were included in this study prospectively. A detailed ophthalmic examination, including refraction, best corrected visual acuity, ocular motility, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and dilated fundus examination, was performed for each patient.
Results:
Mean age of the patients was 80.10±38.64 (range, 18-168) months. A total of 13 (25.4%) children had at least 1 ophthalmic abnormality. The majority of the detected ophthalmic abnormalities were hyperopia and astigmatism (6 patients had hyperopia, 5 had astigmatism, and 2 had hyperopia plus astigmatism). Strabismus (esotropia) was found in 2 patients, 2 patients had refractive amblyopia, and 2 patients had nystagmus. Moreover, 3 patients had microcornea, 2 patients had cataract, and 1 patient had epiblepharon. Optic disc coloboma (3 patients), choroidal coloboma (1 patient), and pigmentary abnormality (1 patient) were noticed on fundus examination. Congenital rubella syndrome (2 patients), Waardenburg's syndrome (1 patient), and CHARGE syndrome (coloboma, heart defects, choanal atresia, growth retardation, genital abnormalities, ear abnormalities) (1 patient) were also present.
Conclusion:
Children treated with cochlear implant should be consulted with an ophthalmologist to identify any treatable ocular abnormality.
