Hearing loss attributed to desferrioxamine in patients with beta-thalassaemia major

Sensorineural hearing loss was detected in nine (33%) of 27 patients with beta-thalassaemia major. All were receiving regular hypertransfusion and nightly subcutaneous infusions of desferrioxamine. A retrospective analysis of these patients was undertaken to determine the risk factors for the development of deafness. No statistically significant differences were found between the affected and unaffected groups with respect to age, ferritin levels or lengths of time that they had received desferrioxamine, but the trends were similar to those reported by other authors. However, the desferrioxamine dosage was similar in both our groups (less than 60 mg/kg a day), and lower in the affected group than other authors have reported. Two patients experienced some resolution of their deafness when their dosage of desferrioxamine was lowered. These results suggest that the ototoxic effect of desferrioxamine is dose-related and can occur at relatively low doses of the drug.