Hearng loss in chronic renal failure patients

Lee, Jae Gyoon; Cho, Jong Tae; Yun, Sung Chul; Park, Hyun Min

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Hearing loss, mainly a sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), was frequently observed in patient with chronic renal failure. Although several causes and prevalence of this hearing loss had been proposed, the etiology and prevalence are still controversial. The purpose of the present study was another study to determine the prevalence, type and comparative degree of hearing loss in chronic renal failure according to various parameters.
METHODS
Subjects for this study were 39 patients with hemodialysis and 10 chronic renal failure patients before hemodialysis. Pure tone audiometry was performed and pure tone average(PTA) was estimated. At same time, pure tone threshold were estimated at the range from 250 to 500(low frequency range), from 1000 to 2000(middle frequency range) and from 4000 to 8000 Hz(high frequency range). Significant hearing loss of PTA as well as the significant loss in pure tone threshold of each frequency range was defined when the loss of hearing ability was 25dB more than the normal value. The effect of alteration in age, sex, hemoglobin, lipid profile, duration of hemodialysis, underlying diseases and ototoxic drugs were evaluated. RESULT: 1) The main type of hearing loss was SNHL and it was asymptomatic and progressive. The prevalence of SNHL by means of PTA was 76% in the patient with chronic renal failure. The SNHL of high frequency range(89%), SNHL of middle frequency range(18%) and SNHL of low frequency range (45%) were observed on the basis of the pure tone threshold. 2) There was no significant difference of SNHL according to various parameters of sex, hemoglobin, lipid profile, BUN, and underlying diseases except age. 3) The patients under hemodialysis exhibited the more SNHL over all frequency ranges than those without hemodialysis and there was the more SNHL in patients of more than 2 years of hemodialysis and those of less than 2 years of hemodialysis 4) Furosemide was significantly ototoxic in patients with chronic renal failure.
CONCLUSION
The type of hearing loss was mainly sensori-neural and high tone loss. The degree was slight to moderate. The prevalence was the higher than expected. Regular hemodialysis treatment seems to affect hearing loss during even 2 years of treatment. Therefore, hearing loss appeared to be related to the duration of hemodialysis. The more precise and regular audiometric monitorings were recommanded in hemodilalysis patients.