TY - JOUR
T1 - Audiological evaluation in adult beta-thalassemia major patients under regular chelation treatment
AU - Ambrosetti, U.
AU - Dondè, E.
AU - Piatti, G.
AU - Cappellini, M. D.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - With the improved life expectation of β-thalassemia major patients, new clinical problems, such as hearing damage, must be evaluated. Fifty-seven patients (32 F, 25 M; age range 17-32 years) have been studied to define risk factors for development of sensorineural hearing loss. All patients with β-thalassemia major received daily chelation therapy with subcutaneous injection of desferrioxamine (30-50 mg kg -1 per day). We performed an otological visit and pure tone audiometry as well as impedance; patients were followed for 3 years. Four patients with a conductive hearing loss were excluded; 66.6% had a normal audiogram; 22.8% had a slight sensorineural deficit (≤35 dB HL) with high frequency losses; only two patients (3.5%) had a moderate deficit (between 35 and 75 dB HL). In normal subjects ABR recording gave normal values. There was no association between age, ferritin level, therapeutic index (T.I.) and hearing loss. We conclude that no significant difference exists between β-thalassemic patients and non-thalassemic subjects of the same age; desferrioxamine treatment seem to be non-ototoxic when employed at the present dosages, but the ototoxicity is probably related to individual susceptibility that is unforeseeable; in any case, the risk of ototoxicity seems to be much less than the benefits which derive from the use of this drug. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
AB - With the improved life expectation of β-thalassemia major patients, new clinical problems, such as hearing damage, must be evaluated. Fifty-seven patients (32 F, 25 M; age range 17-32 years) have been studied to define risk factors for development of sensorineural hearing loss. All patients with β-thalassemia major received daily chelation therapy with subcutaneous injection of desferrioxamine (30-50 mg kg -1 per day). We performed an otological visit and pure tone audiometry as well as impedance; patients were followed for 3 years. Four patients with a conductive hearing loss were excluded; 66.6% had a normal audiogram; 22.8% had a slight sensorineural deficit (≤35 dB HL) with high frequency losses; only two patients (3.5%) had a moderate deficit (between 35 and 75 dB HL). In normal subjects ABR recording gave normal values. There was no association between age, ferritin level, therapeutic index (T.I.) and hearing loss. We conclude that no significant difference exists between β-thalassemic patients and non-thalassemic subjects of the same age; desferrioxamine treatment seem to be non-ototoxic when employed at the present dosages, but the ototoxicity is probably related to individual susceptibility that is unforeseeable; in any case, the risk of ototoxicity seems to be much less than the benefits which derive from the use of this drug. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
KW - β-thalassemia
KW - Desferrioxamine
KW - Ototoxicity
KW - Sensorineural hearing loss
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U2 - 10.1006/phrs.2000.0722
DO - 10.1006/phrs.2000.0722
M3 - Article
C2 - 11023713
AN - SCOPUS:0033735939
VL - 42
SP - 485
EP - 487
JO - Pharmacological Research
JF - Pharmacological Research
SN - 1043-6618
IS - 5
ER -