Otolaryngologic manifestations of type 1 diabetes mellitus in paediatric populations: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune condition with systemic effects, including otolaryngologic (ORL) complications which are often overlooked. We conducted a literature review to investigate the ORL manifestations of T1DM in the paediatric population.

METHODOLOGY: A systematic literature search was conducted in October 2024 using the PubMed database. Studies reporting on ORL manifestations of paediatric T1DM were included.

RESULTS

751 articles were identified, of which 20 met the selection criteria. A total of 950 patients were included, the mean age was 11.5 years. The majority were female (54 %). The most common paediatric ORL complications of T1DM studied were auditory, followed by vestibular, olfactory, and voice-related dysfunctions. The most common auditory findings were prolonged latency and reduced amplitude on auditory brainstem response testing. Nine studies reported that the duration and severity of T1DM was correlated with greater impairment. Subclinical ORL manifestations of T1DM were reported in seven studies. One study investigated quality-of-life and found that diabetic children have a lower overall quality of life than their non-diabetic peers.

CONCLUSION

In children, T1DM affects audio-vestibular, olfactory, and voice function to varying degrees. Routine ORL screenings in paediatric T1DM patients will ensure early detection and management. A checklist, including a thorough ORL history and examination, pure tone audiometry, brainstem auditory evoked potentials, olfactory testing, and quality of life measures, is recommended. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the progression of ORL manifestations in children with T1DM.