Auditory Neuropathy: clinical study of six children

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this research was to study 6 children with suspected Auditory Neuropathy(AN) of distinct etiologies. Methods: In each case, we determined the time of the first manifestations of the auditory loss and communication disorders, and submitted the patients to audiological subjective and objective tests. Results: The diagnostic of AN was made in all patients by the alteration of the neural function in contrast with the preservation of the cochlear function. A striking delay between the first manifestation of the disease and the final clinical diagnosis was observed in all cases. Conclusion: It was possible that the cause of the delay of the identification of the AN be the absence of audiological, eletrophysiological and clinical tests, responsible for the differential diagnosis. The clinical signs and symptoms of the children were heterogeneous as well as the possible etiologies of the AN in the studied cases.