Xz. Liu et Ve. Newton, DISTORTION-PRODUCT EMISSIONS IN NORMAL-HEARING AND LOW-FREQUENCY HEARING-LOSS CARRIERS OF GENES FOR WAARDENBURGS-SYNDROME, The Annals of otology, rhinology & laryngology, 106(3), 1997, pp. 220-225
Eight patients with Waardenburg's syndrome (WS) with normal hearing an
d 3 additional patients exhibiting a low-frequency hearing loss were t
ested for the level of the acoustic distortion product 2f1-f2 by means
of the Otodynamics Distortion Product Analyser (ILO92). Wide notches
in distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) between 1,000 and
3,000 Hz were found in 7 (12 ears, 87.5%) examined patients with norm
al audiograms, which was a significantly higher rate than that found i
n the control group (10%). The 3 patients with low-frequency hearing l
oss gave a consistent pattern in audiometric configuration shown by bo
th pure tone audiograms and DPOAEs. It is concluded from these initial
results that DPOAEs may be a useful approach to identifying subclinic
al pathologic aberrations in the inner ear in WS patients, and may be
a predictor of low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss.