Auditory abnormalities associated with unilateral renal agenesis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between unilateral renal agenesis and auditory abnormality, and to determine the clinical spectrum of hearing impairment in such patients. METHODS Seventy-five children with unilateral renal agenesis underwent auditory examinations. The subjects comprised 35 males and 40 females. Fourteen females had mullerian abnormalities. Another 75 schoolchildren with the same gender profile were selected for audiometric testing as a control group. Children with sonographically evident urogenital system abnormalities were excluded from the control group. RESULTS The prevalence of auditory abnormalities in children with unilateral renal agenesis (4/75) (5.3%) was higher than in the control group (0%). The prevalence in children with urogenital anomalies was significantly higher in patients with renal agenesis than in the normal population (28.5%). Audiometric results showed that four of the 75 children manifested ipsilateral sensorineural hearing impairment, particularly in the high-frequency range. All were females with coexisting genital abnormalities. Two were diagnosed with mild sensorineural hearing impairment while the other two had moderate hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study suggest that neurosensory hearing loss was found to be associated with renal agenesis. Further audiometric follow-up of children with renal agenesis seems worthwhile.