effects of treatment with praziquantel on hearing

ABSTRACT

Praziquantel is a commonly used broad spectrum antihelminthic drug. It has totally replaced the antimonial compounds in the treatment of schistosomiasis. In this work 109 patients were included to study the audiometric changes produced by the drug in the routine treatment regimen for schistosomiasis. Pretreatment pure tone audiograms were obtained for all patients on air and bone conduction. They were then repeated after 24 hours of treatment, one week and one month after treatment. Eight patients out of 109 developed marked significant changes in their audiogram, defined as more than 15 dB from previous readings. The results concluded that praziquantel treatment can cause mild audiometric changes mainly in the higher frequencies for a transient period which was followed by a return to normal hearing. Full audiological assessment to all patients undergoing treatment with praziquantel is highly recommended