Cochlear Implants for DFNA17 Deafness

Background Nonsyndromic autosomal-dominant, adult-onset sensorineural hearing loss resulting from DFNA17 was described in a single American kindred in 1997, and the causative gene was subsequently identified as MYH9. Objective The objective of this study was to report clinical and genetic analyses of an Australian family with nonsyndromic adult-onset sensorineural hearing loss. Methods The clinical presentation of the family was detailed and identification of the causative gene was conducted by SNP genotyping and direct sequencing. Results Sequence analysis of the MYH9 gene revealed the same missense mutation as in the original DFNA17 family. We are not aware of a link between the two kindreds, making the present one only the second DFNA17 family to be reported. Conclusions One important point of clinical relevance is the excellent outcome with cochlear implants in the Australian family compared with a poor response in the American family. Thus, cochlear implants should be strongly considered for clinical management of patients with DFNA17 deafness.