Detailed Audiological Evaluation of a Patient with Xeroderma Pigmentosum with Neural Degeneration.

BACKGROUND

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet light. Individuals with XP lack the ability to repair DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, leading to sunburn and increased susceptibility to skin cancers. Approximately 25% of patients also exhibit neural degeneration, which includes progressive mental deterioration, cortical thinning, and sensorineural hearing loss.

PURPOSE: Herein, we describe the audiological and genetic findings in a patient with XP subtype D with neural degeneration and hearing loss.

RESEARCH

DESIGN

This is a case report of a patient with XP subtype D, type 1 diabetes, and some clinical features typical of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We obtained audiological evaluations over a course of 11 yr, including serial audiograms, auditory processing disorders evaluations, and electrophysiological testing.

RESULTS

Hearing sensitivity has progressed from a unilateral mild high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss to a bilateral sloping moderate to severe/profound sensorineural hearing loss. In addition to the dramatic decline in hearing sensitivity, the patient demonstrates global auditory processing deficits, indicating a central component to his hearing loss.

CONCLUSION

These findings emphasize the importance of the contribution of audiological evaluations to the diagnosis of a genetic disorder. Periodic evaluations of hearing sensitivity and auditory processing can provide information on disease progression in patients with XP with neural degeneration.