Children Referred from Annual Otorhinolaryngological Checkup in Elementary and Junior High School

Abstract

　Elementary and junior high schools carry out annual health examinations, including otorhinolaryngological checkups, for their students in Japan. We examined children who were referred to us with suspected hearing impairment on the basis of the results of otorhinolaryngological checkups conducted at elementary or junior high schools. The subjects were 201 children (86 boys and 115 girls) with an average age of 8.6 years. Audiological examination revealed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in 17 cases (8%), bilateral conductive hearing loss in seven cases (3%), unilateral sensorineural hearing loss in 42 cases (21%), unilateral conductive hearing loss in 30 cases (15%), unilateral sensorineural hearing loss with functional hearing loss in one case (1%), and functional hearing loss in 58 cases (29%). No abnormalities were found in 46 cases (23%) Seven children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and 16 children with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss had been cleared by newborn hearing screening. Hearing aid use was recommended for 12 cases with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss; although seven of the cases wore them, the remaining five refused. Surgeries were performed in one case with bilateral conductive hearing loss caused by middle ear malformations, three cases with unilateral conductive hearing loss caused by middle ear malformations, six cases with unilateral middle ear cholesteatoma, and one case with cholesterol granuloma in the middle ear of one side. Functional hearing loss was common in girls aged 7-8 years. With the expansion of newborn hearing screening and infant health examinations, pediatric hearing loss is being detected earlier than ever before. However, school otorhinolaryngological checkups are still an important opportunity to identify and treat school children with hearing loss.