Inner ear function in children with Fabry disease.

AIM: The prevalence of hearing loss in patients with Fabry disease is still uncertain. This paper examines hearing loss in a group of young patients with Fabry disease.

METHODS

A clinical ear nose and throat examination, pure-tone air and bone conduction audiometry, speech audiometry and middle ear testing (tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing) were carried out in four girls and two boys with Fabry disease (age, 7-17 years), receiving enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).

RESULTS

None of the patients complained of a hearing disorder or suffered from hearing loss. Three female patients reported tinnitus; however, this was not reported as being a problem. One boy reported tinnitus for the first time during 6 months of ERT.

CONCLUSION

Based on this small sample of patients, it appears that the hearing disorders associated with Fabry disease develop mainly in adulthood. Tinnitus may be an earlier symptom than previously thought in Fabry disease.