Long-Term Effect of Enzyme Replacement Therapy with Fabry Disease

Objective. To determine the effects of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) on the hearing acuity in patients with Fabry disease. Materials. The study sample comprised 34 ears of 17 affected patients who underwent pure-tone audiometry before and after ERT. Methods. The patients were studied in relation to factors such as changes in hearing, presence of accompanying symptoms, status of renal and cardiac function, age, and gender. Data of pure-tone audiometry obtained before ERT and at the final examination were compared. Results. At the end of the follow-up period, no significant worsening of hearing acuity was noted at the end of the follow-up period. SSNHL was detected in 10 ears of 6 patients. Steroid therapy successfully cured the disease in 9 of the 10 ears. Conclusions. No significant worsening of hearing acuity was noted from the beginning to the end of ERT. The rate of improvement in SSNHL of Fabry disease was excellent in the treated patients. Hearing loss is a factor that causes marked deterioration of the patients' quality of life, and it is desirable that the hearing acuity of patients be periodically evaluated and prompt treatment of SSNHL be administered, if available.