The evaluation of hearing functions in patients with childhood vitiligo: are melanocytes involved in the inner ear? (original) (raw)

Background Vitiligo is a common pigment disorder characterized by destruction of melanocytes in epidermis. The inner ear is also one of the remarkable sites of melanocytes. The mechanism destroying the melanocytes in vitiligo may also affect other melanocyctic organs. Several studies have been reported some hearing abnormalities in patients with vitiligo. Objective The purpose of the study is to evaluate the hearing functions with transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TOAE) test according to the clinical types, disease activity, localization at onset, age at onset, and duration of the disease in the children with vitiligo. Methods Thirty-five patients with childhood vitiligo (18 females and 17 males, mean age 9.71 ± 3.75) and a healthy control group consisting 35 children (18 females and 17 males, mean age 9.23 ± 3.40) were consecutively enrolled to this prospective study. Clinical characteristics of the disease including types, activity, localization at onset, age at onset and duration were noted. Auditory functions of children with vitiligo and healthy controls were measured by TOAE test. Test results were compared between vitiligo and control group, and in subgroups of vitiligo patients according to disease characteristics. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the childhood vitiligo group and control group when TOAE test results compared (p>0.05). Children with disease onset at the head and neck had significantly higher TOAE test results including in the right ear at a frequency of 4 KHz and average frequency, while compared to the children with disease onset at other areas, respectively (p=0.012, p=0.034). There was no statistically significant differences, while TOAE results of subgroups compared according to clinical types, activity, and duration of the disease in the patients with vitiligo (p>0.05). Conclusions According to the our study, which is the first one measures the auditory functions by TOAE in children with vitiligo, TOAE test results did not differ from healthy controls. Although the melanocytes are present in the inner ear, our findings suggest that auditory functions of children with vitiligo are not affected.