Systematic Review of Current Audiological Treatment Options for Patients with Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) and Surgical and Audiological Experiences of an Otorhinolaryngologist with TCS

Abstract

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a rare congenital craniofacial condition that affects approximately one out of fifty thousand births. Different ratios of TCS patients have conductive hearing loss: 88%1 vs. 91.4–100.00%2. For this reason, it was examined which hearing solutions can be used with this condition and how effective they are. A systematic literature review was conducted, which showed that the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA, OSIA), the bone conduction implant (Bonebridge) or the active implant of the middle ear (Soundbridge) are reliable methods for the treatment of conductive hearing loss in TCS patients. After the implantation of all available hearing solutions, improved hearing and speech comprehension were observed. Additionally, a statement regarding the treatment of TCS and a personalized point of view of a clinical expert with TCS were provided. However, due to the small amount of data, no general recommendations can be given for the treatment of hearing loss in TCS patients; therefore, it is advised to collect more data on hearing solutions for TCS patients in future research.