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Auditory neuropathy in a patient exposed to xylene: case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2008

T H J Draper  and
D-E Bamiou
T H J Draper*
Affiliation:
Audiology Department, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton
D-E Bamiou
Affiliation:
Neuro-otology Department, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Miss Tracy H J Draper, Audiology Department, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK. Fax: 01273664806 E-mail: tracy.draper@bsuh.nhs.uk
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Abstract

Objective:

To report the case of an adult patient who developed auditory complaints following xylene exposure, and to review the literature on the effects of solvent exposure on hearing.

Case report:

The patient presented with a gradual deterioration in his ability to hear in difficult acoustic environments and also to hear complex sounds such as music, over a 40-year period. His symptoms began following exposure to the solvent xylene, and in the absence of any other risk factor. Our audiological investigations revealed normal otoacoustic emissions with absent auditory brainstem responses and absent acoustic reflexes in both ears, consistent with a diagnosis of bilateral auditory neuropathy. Central test results were also abnormal, indicating possible involvement of the central auditory pathway.

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this is the first report of retrocochlear hearing loss following xylene exposure. The test results may provide some insight into the effect of xylene as an isolated agent on the human auditory pathway.

Keywords

Auditory NeuropathyHearingXyleneSolvent Exposure
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 123 , Issue 4 , April 2009 , pp. 462 - 465
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2008

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