Clinical Observation of Sudden Deafness in Children

Chon, Kyong Myong; Goh, Eui Kyung; Lee, Il Woo; Cho, Kyu Sup

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sudden deafness in children is rare and comprises less than 10% of all sudden deafness. Viral infection is more common and early treatment is less common in children than in adults. Prognosis of sudden deafness is poorer in children than in adults. This study was attempted to evaluate clinical characteristics and prognosis of sudden deafness in children and to compare with sudden deafness in adults.
Materials and Methods
We reviewed the records of 40 patients (41 ears) who had been admitted to the department of otolaryngology, Pusan National University Hospital from January 1990 to December 2000.
RESULTS
1) Hearing recovery was significantly worse in the age group below 10 than in that over 10 (p<0.05). 2) Hearing recovery was less favorable in patients with profound degree of hearing loss than in those with the other degrees of hearing loss (p<0.05). 3) The patients who had been treated within 7 days after the on-set of symptoms were smaller in children than in adults (p<0.05). 4) Mumps was more common in childhood, the hearing recovery was significantly worse in cases with mumps than those without mumps (p<0.05). 5) Of the 41 ears, 8 ears (19.5%) had complete recovery, 5 ears (12.2%) had partial recovery, 9 ears (22.0%) had slight improvement, 19 ears (46.3%) had no improvement.
CONCLUSION
Congenital hereditary deafness and viral infections are more common in children. Thus the cause of sudden sensorineural hearing loss can be identified more frequently in children than in adults. Poor hearing recovery in children are considered to be associated with late time of initial treatment and asymptomatic mumps. Early diagnosis and early treatment are more important in children.