Distortion product otoacoustic emissions: An objective technique for the screening of hearing loss in children treated with platin derivatives

In order to develop a sensitive audiometric protocol for identifying ototoxicity in children, a retrospective study of 16 children treated with cisplatin and/or carboplatin was performed. Audiometric testing was done by means of pure-tone threshold audiometry (PTA), high-frequency audiometry (HFA), and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Cisplatin caused a sensorineural high-frequency hearing loss in the study group compared to the controls (p < 0.01). Sixty-six percent of the cisplatin patients had a grade 2 or 3 ototoxicity. However, ototoxicity was not found in the patients treated with carboplatin. An excellent correlation was found between DPOAE levels and results obtained by audiometry (r =0.82). Patients exposed to cisplatin are at significant risk for the development of drug-induced sensorineural hearing loss. Because of the several advantages of DPOAEs (noninvasive, objective, rapid, easy to use, sensitive) this method should be added in the audiological follow-up in infants and toddlers.