Hearing configuration in children with cCMV infection and proposal of a flow chart for hearing evaluation.

OBJECTIVE

This study had three main goals: (1) to determine the hearing configuration in hearing-impaired children born with a congenital CMV (cCMV) infection, (2) to see whether auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) was present, and (3) to propose a flow chart for the follow-up of hearing in children with cCMV.

DESIGN

Hearing configuration and the presence of ANSD in cCMV infected children was analysed. Selection criteria were: hearing-impaired children with a regular audiometric follow-up for at least 36 months, no other major risk factors for hearing loss, a normal middle-ear status, and an appropriate behavioral response to the given pure-tone stimuli.

STUDY SAMPLE: Out of a cohort of 206 cCMV infected children, 18 hearing-impaired children were selected.

RESULTS

Audiograms of all children showed a flat configuration of SNHL: the slope between octave bands was never greater than 10 decibels. None of the 18 children were found to have ANSD.

CONCLUSIONS

Hearing impairment in cCMV infants affected all frequencies equally and ANSD does not appear to be a feature of cCMV infection. A flow chart for hearing follow-up in children with cCMV infection was suggested in order to provide guidance, improve uniformity in follow-up, and to make results easier to compare.