Hearing status of children and adolescents with familial adenomatous polyposis

Abstract

Background/Aim: Chemopreventative therapeutics may be helpful in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) management; however, prospective chemopreventative studies are complicated by potential ototoxicity and pre-existing hearing loss. The aim of this study was to establish and compare baseline hearing status of children and adolescents with FAP and their unaffected siblings. Patients and Methods: Twenty FAP pediatric patients with documented mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene and nine unaffected sibling controls underwent baseline hearing evaluation, including audiometry, speech perception testing, and middle and inner ear physiologic measures. Results of the FAP cohort were compared to the unaffected sibling cohort. Results: Two (5%) children with FAP presented with baseline hearing loss of unknown etiology, likely unrelated to their FAP diagnosis. No significant differences were found in any of the hearing measures between groups. Conclusion: Mutation of the APC gene is not necessarily indicative of higher risk for baseline hearing loss in the pediatric population.