Early changes in auditory function as a result of platinum chemotherapy: use of extended high-frequency audiometry and evoked distortion product otoacoustic emissions.

PURPOSE

The objective is to describe progressive changes in hearing and cochlear function in children and adolescents treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and to begin preliminary evaluation of the feasibility of extended high-frequency audiometry and distortion product otoacoustic emissions for ototoxicity monitoring in children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Baseline and serial measurement of conventional pure-tone audiometry (0.5 to 8 kHz) and evoked distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were conducted for 32 patients age 8 months to 20 years who were treated with cisplatin and/or carboplatin chemotherapy. Seventeen children also had baseline and serial measurement of extended high-frequency (EHF) audiometry (9 to 16 kHz). Audiologic data were analyzed to determine the incidence of ototoxicity using the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association criteria, and the relationships between the different measures of ototoxicity.

RESULTS

Of the 32 children, 20 (62.5%) acquired bilateral ototoxicity in the conventional frequency range during chemotherapy treatment, and 26 (81.3%) had bilateral decreases in DPOAE amplitudes and dynamic range. Of the 17 children with EHF audiometry results, 16 (94.1%) had bilateral ototoxicity in the EHF range. Pilot data suggest that EHF thresholds and DPOAEs show ototoxic changes before hearing loss is detected by conventional audiometry.

CONCLUSION

EHF audiometry and DPOAEs have the potential to reveal earlier changes in auditory function than conventional frequency audiometry during platinum chemotherapy in children.