Hipoacusia neurossensorial em crianças com hipertrofia adenotonsilar

Abstract

Introduction: In children, hearing loss can be a complication of Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy (ATH) due to upper airway obstruction with a corresponding middle ear effusion. Nonetheles, it is not clear if ATH can also lead to impairment of the inner ear. Objective: to detect and characterize hearing impairment in children with Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy.Methods: A case-control study in children with and without Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy. All subjects underwent tonal audiometry, impedance, transient otoacoustic emissions and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Results: The study involved 32 children with ATH and 37 controls, from 5 to 13 years of age. There were no significant differences between groups regarding gender (p=0.763), age (p=0.349), weight (p=0,653) and race (0.285). Tonal audiometry was normal for both groups in both ears, although the ATH showed slight falls at high frequencies. Transient otoacoustic emissions (TOE) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOE) were present in both ears of the control group. In the ATH group, TOE were present in the right ear of all children but only in 30% in the left ear; DPOE were present in only 12%, but in 68% of the right ear. Conclusion: There is an association between Adeno-tonsillar Hypertrophy and hearing neurosensory impairment, identified in otoacoustic emissions but not in tonal audiometry