Familial Hearing Loss and Cisplatin Therapy

Familial high-tone hearing loss in males is a recessive trait often unrecognized. Cisplatin chemotherapy may be associated with hearing loss. A review was made of audiograms in 85 patients with testicular carcinoma prior to cisplatin chemotherapy to determine the extent of preexisting familial hearing loss. Clinical histories defined patients exposed to high noise levels and other common causes of hearing loss. Audiometric findings were classified according to normal hearing or mild, moderate, and severe hearing impairment. Pretreatment audiograms were normal in 51 patients and abnormal in 19 patients with histories of high-level noise exposure, and in 15 patients with high-frequency hearing loss there was no history of noise exposure, ear infection, or other potential causes of hearing loss. These last 15 patients were judged to have recessive familial hearing loss. Awareness of familial hearing loss is important in male patients in whom cisplatin chemotherapy is planned. Pretreatment hearing assessment, including audiograms, is recommended for such male patients.