Secondary, profound, sensorineural hearing loss after recovery from haemolytic uraemic syndrome due to enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, and subsequent cochlear implantation, in two Japanese children.

OBJECTIVES

To describe two cases of profound hearing loss secondary to enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection, and to report the efficacy of subsequent cochlear implantation.

RESULTS

The first case was a four-year-old girl admitted to hospital with Escherichia coli O157 infection and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Mild hearing loss was confirmed five months after discharge, progressing to profound loss three months later. At the age of seven years, she underwent cochlear implantation, with remarkable improvement in speech perception and production. The second case was a three-year-old boy admitted with haemolytic uraemic syndrome caused by Escherichia coli O111 infection. One year after disease onset, profound hearing loss was confirmed. Cochlear implantation at the age of five years produced significant recovery of auditory function.

CONCLUSION

This study represents the first published report of secondary hearing loss after recovery from haemolytic uraemic syndrome caused by enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli. It indicates that cochlear implantation can restore hearing function in such patients.