The clinical features and prognosis of mumps-associated hearing loss: a retrospective, multi-institutional investigation in Japan

Abstract

Conclusions:The majority of hearing loss due to mumps presents as unilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, which is refractory to treatment. In rare cases of bilateral total deafness, cochlear implants were beneficial for speech perception. Vaccination against mumps is recommended to prevent mumps-associated hearing loss. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of hearing loss due to mumps and to evaluate hearing outcomes. Subjects and methods: The clinical parameters were analyzed under a retrospective multi-institutional study design in patients diagnosed with hearing loss due to mumps at the Otolaryngology departments of 19 hospitals between 1987 and 2016. Results: Sixty-seven patients with hearing loss due to mumps were enrolled. The study population consisted of 35 males and 32 females, ranging in age from 1 to 54, with a median age of 9.5 years. Sixty-three patients presented with unilateral, and 4 with bilateral hearing loss. Profound hearing loss was observed in 65 ears. Only one ear with severe hearing loss showed complete recovery. Four patients with bilateral hearing loss received cochlear implant surgery. Most of the patients with hearing loss due to mumps had no history of vaccination. ARTICLE HISTORY

Mumps-Related Disease Burden in Japan: Analysis of JMDC Health Insurance Reimbursement Data for 2005–2017

“…Mumps deafness in most cases is a serious irreversible complication. 15 Recently published Japanese data showed that the incidence of auditory disorders among mumps patients was 0.1–1%. 14 In our study, mumps deafness was noted in 88 of 68,137 patients with mumps, with an incidence of 0.13% (1/774), which was consistent with the above published data.…”

Anti-mumps IgM antibody positive rate with sudden sensorineural hearing loss using second-generation enzyme immunoassay: A retrospective, multi-institutional investigation in Hokkaido, Japan

“…There is no doubt that a certain number of patients with sensorineural hearing loss due to asymptomatic mumps exist. Sensorineural hearing loss due to mumps is typically profound, and hearing prognosis is quite poor [7,14,15].…”

“…Such SSNHL was judged to be caused by asymptomatic mumps infection, which did not show any symptoms of parotitis. Additionally, 22.4% of patients were reportedly diagnosed with hearing loss due to asymptomatic mumps infection based on the anti-mumps IgM antibody level in the sela [7] according to criteria for diagnosis of mumps deafness established by Acute Severe Hearing Loss Study Group of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2013 (Table 1) [8].…”

Unique Tropism and Entry Mechanism of Mumps Virus

“…Sensorineural hearing loss is a well-known complication, previously estimated to occur in 1/15,000 to 1/20,000 cases; however, more recent studies have suggested that the frequency could be 1/1000 [ 3 , 7 ]. In the majority of cases, mumps-related hearing loss is profound and resistant to therapeutics [ 8 ]. Live attenuated mumps vaccines, for example, the measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccines, can prevent MuV infections in childhood and serious complications in young individuals [ 3 ].…”