Ear examination findings at the Yeditepe School for the Deaf.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the prevalence and etiologies of middle ear disease among deaf children in a school for the deaf. METHODS: A total of 162 students with hearing impairment attending a school for the deaf during the school year of 2001-2002 were admitted to this study. The range of age was from 6 to 20 years. The examination consisted of inspection of the auricle and external auditory canal, and otoscopic, audiometric and tympanometric evaluation. School performance was assessed using the results of end-of-year school examination and continuous assessments obtained from the school administration. RESULTS: The demographic properties of the study group revealed that 81 (60.9%) of children were male and 52 (39.09%) were female. Most of the children (45%) were in the group of 9-13 years of age. On pure tone audiometric evaluation, sensorineural hearing loss (HL) was found in 99 (85.3%) and mixed type HL in 17 (14.6%) of 116 cases. Impacted wax was the most common pathology and was seen in 15 (39.4%) of children. Middle ear diseases were detected in 38 (28.5%) of children with otoscopic examination. CONCLUSION: This study shows that hearing impairment and preventable ear diseases are important health problems among the school children for the deaf. It is essential to start the school education early in time and to start using hearing aid before 2.5 year of age.

Etiology of deafness at the Yeditepe School for the deaf in Istanbul.

OBJECTIVE: The etiology of deafness can be classified as genetic, acquired and unknown. An unknown etiology was a high incidence in previous reports. The aim of this study is to explore the etiology of deafness and to reduce the cases in the unknown group. METHODS: This study was conducted on 162 students at the Yeditepe School for the deaf. Otologic, physical and psychological examinations were performed by a team of doctors including four otologists, a geneticist, a dentist, an ophthalmologist and an audiologist. RESULTS: A genetic cause was identified in 41.35%, acquired 37.65% and unknown 20.98%. Genetic etiologies were stratified as familial and syndromic subgroups. A familial cause was found in 60 of 162 children and in 22 of those 60 cases, the parents had a consanguineous marriage. There was 11 cases associated with a syndrome. Ninety four minor abnormalities have been established in some deaf children. Febrile convulsion (36%) was identified as the most common etiology in acquired cases. CONCLUSION: In contrast with other studies the consanguineous marriage was present in 36.6% of the familial cases and 38.8% in total of the school. An unknown etiology was reported in high rates in previous reports. These unknown cases could be described as a part of a syndrome by a crowded team of consultants. Evaluation of early diagnostic criterias and minor abnormalities can help us to provide early rehabilitation of deafness in childhood.