[Meningitis and hearing damage in children]. / Meningitis und Hörschäden im Kindesalter.

1. Meningitis is a noteworthy cause of postnatal sensorineutral hearing disorders in children. 2. A monaural or binaural sensorineutral hearing disorder previously not noted was found in nine of fifty children with completely cured meningitis. 3. The influence of various clinical factors (age and sex of child; type of pathogen; time from occurrence of initial symptoms until admission to hospital; time of commencement of therapy; period of temperature and period of hospitalization; neurologic complications, and type of antibiotic therapy) on the audition was studied. A cerebral predisposition elevated by meningitis was found to enhance the risk of contracting a hearing disorder. 4. Damage to the hearing organ was attributed to meningitis rather than to gentamicin frequently used for therapy, as monoaural hearing disorders prevailed. 5. The high incidence rate of hearing disorders of unknown origin justifies the demand that children with meningitis be referred to otological diagnosis immediately after discharge from hospital even if their audition is apparently normal. 6. Feasible today, electrophysiological diagnosis provides unambiguous information on the function of the hearing organ.