Nature of hearing impairment in children of upper Egypt

In this retrospective study, a total of 12670 children, during the last ten years, from 1990 to 1999 inclusive, were examined in the ENT Department and Audiology Unit, Assiut University Hospital in Upper Egypt. The examination included, full history taking, full ENT examination and audiological evaluation [pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry when needed free field audiometry, auditory brain system response [ABR] and immittancemetry testing]. The incidence of conductive hearing loss [CHL] and mixed hearing loss were 58.8 percent of total hearing impaired children, where 22.7 percent are mixed hearing loss [12 percent of them were in need for hearing aid], sensorineural hearing loss [SNHL] was met within 41.2 percent of total hearing loss. The post febrile hearing loss was encountered as 38.5 percent and hereditary hearing loss was in 22.9 percent of total SNHL. Chronic suppurative otitis media [CSOM] accounted for 44.8 percent and middle ear effusion [MEE,] was found in 54.5 percent of total CHL. Hearing impairment in children is a significant problem in Upper Egypt. Hereditary and post febrile hearing impairment are the most common causes. Consanguineous marriage is an important factor in SNHL in children. CSOM and MEE are the most common features in CHL in children of Upper Egypt. Both factors could be prevented with certain measures which would reduce the magnitude of the problem