Hearing loss in Angolan children with sickle-cell disease

Background: Hearing loss and pneumococcal infections occur in children with sickle-cell disease (SCD). We assessed the prevalence of hearing loss and otological findings, especially otitis media, among children with SCD in Luanda, Angola. Methods: We performed otorhinolaryngological examination, tympanometry and, at ages over 5 years, pure-tone audiometry, in 61 outpatients of the SCD clinic and 61 healthy controls in the Paediatric Hospital of Luanda. Results: Bilateral hearing loss exceeding 25 dB occurred in nine (36%; median age 7.8 years) SCD children versus three (11%; P = 0.047) control children. The hearing loss in the SCD group was predominantly mild (26-40 dB), involved low-and speech-range frequencies, and was sex independent. Acute otitis media occurred in two (3%) children with SCD versus four (6%; P = 0.68) control children, chronic otitis in zero versus two (3%; P = 0.50), and middle-ear effusion in one versus one (2%; P > 0.99). We found no significant differences in the otological profiles of the study groups. Conclusions: In sub-Saharan Africa, hearing screening of SCD children is a must at preschool age. The actual prevalence of otitis media and its role in the cause of hearing loss in children with SCD remain subjects for further research. © 2012 The Authors.