Thalassaemia major and hearing in Zagazig

ABSTRACT

Thirty cases of thalassemia major [16 males and 14 females] ranging from four to eighteen years old were audiologically evaluated by pure tone audiomotry and tympanometry after a thorough otorhinolaryngologic and padiatric examination. Pallor was reported in all cases, while hypertophy of the tonsils and adenoids, mongoloid facies and hepatosplenonegaly were detected in 90% of cases. Of the thirty cases [60 ears], only one had a unilateral 40dB loss at 6 KHZ, there was no cause-and-effect relation between regular or irregular receival of iron chelating agents [desferroxamine] and or blood transfusion and the detected auditory abnormality