Hearing Loss in Acromegaly - A Review

Abstract

Introduction Acromegaly is a chronic disease caused by growth hormone (GH) excess due to a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma in most cases. There is reasonable data to presume the possible influence of chronic GH and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) hyperproduction on the anatomical structures involved in normal sound perception, and on its conductive and/or sensorineural part. Objectives To review the literature about acromegaly and hearing loss. Data Synthesis A systematic literature search was performed using the MEDLINE database, including hand-searching reference lists from original articles. The search was performed using the terms hearing loss and acromegaly , and only 5 studies were found. Conclusion The results are not consistent, but led to different conclusions. Therefore, more studies with greater numbers of patients with acromegaly are needed.

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Signaling in Mammalian Hearing

“…With the exception of a recent case report that showed for the first time the recovery of hearing loss after GH administration in a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy and bilateral SNHL [133], the efficacy of GH treatment on hearing has not been sufficiently demonstrated. Because elevated levels of GH induce greater ossification of the ear cavities, it might be thought that this would trigger a worsening of auditory transmission, as apparently observed in acromegaly [127]. However, GH therapy does not appear to increase the risk of hearing loss in patients with Turner syndrome as concluded in different studies [134,135].…”

“…Finally, acromegaly is a chronic disorder caused by GH excess and is characterised by progressive somatic disfigurement and systemic manifestations such as hearing loss. Thus far, studies of acromegaly have associated this disorder indistinctly with conductive, sensorineural or mixed hearing loss, but with no consistent results on the cause-effect relationship between the disease and hearing loss [127].…”

Growth Hormone and the Auditory Pathway: Neuromodulation and Neuroregeneration

“…However, few reports have demonstrated the efficacy of exogenous GH in hearing. In fact, one might even wonder if treatment with this hormone may pose a risk of hearing impairment since, theoretically, the increase in GH induces greater ossification of the ear cavities that could worsen auditory transmission, as apparently seen in acromegaly [ 61 ]. However, GH treatment does not increase the risk of hearing loss, either in infants or children or in adults, as has been seen in patients with Turner syndrome and other conditions [ 62 , 63 ] ( Table 1 ).…”