Paediatric Cochlear Implantation in Patients with Waardenburg Syndrome

Auditory and speech outcomes of cochlear implantation in patients with Waardenburg syndrome: a meta-analysis

Objective

This study aims to assess the potential efficacy of cochlear implantation as a treatment for patients with Waardenburg syndrome (WS) and to guide clinical work by comparing the effect of auditory and speech recovery after cochlear implantation in patients with WS and non-WS.

Methods

PubMed, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were sources for retrieving literature on cochlear implantation in WS, and clinical data meeting the inclusion criteria were meta-analyzed using RevMan5.41.

Results

A total of nine articles were included in this study, including 132 patients with WS and 815 patients in the control group. Meta-analysis showed that there are no significant differences in the scores for categories of audit performance (CAP), speech intelligibility rating (SIR), and parents' evaluation of aural/oral performance of children (PEACH) between the WS group and the control group.

Conclusion

Cochlear implantation demonstrates comparable auditory and speech recovery outcomes for WS patients and non-WS patients.

Waardenburg Syndrome: A Report of a Rare Case

Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal genetic disorder characterized by oculocutaneous pigmentation defects, congenital deafness, dystopia canthorum, and a broad nasal root. It exhibits both genetic and clinical heterogeneity. This report presents a case of a 17-month-old male child who was brought to the Outpatient Department with complaints of hearing impairment and speech delay. Clinical examination revealed classic signs of WS, including iris pigmentary abnormality (brilliant blue iris), hair hypopigmentation (white forelock), dystopia canthorum, a broad nasal root, and a hypopigmented patch on the left arm. Based on the clinical features, the case was classified as WS Type I. This case underscores the importance of early recognition and diagnosis of WS for timely management and genetic counseling, particularly in pediatric patients with hearing impairment and distinctive pigmentation anomalies.

Waardenburg Syndrome Type 2 in Paediatrics: A Case Highlighting Diagnostic Complexities and the Efficacy of Cochlear Implantation

Waardenburg Syndrome Type 2 (WS2) is a rare hereditary condition with a low prevalence, characterized by abnormalities in both auditory function and pigmentation. We present a case of a 2-year-old female child who exhibited reduced vocalizations, delayed speech development, and distinctive heterochromic irides. Initial auditory assessments revealed bilateral severe to profound hearing loss. Subsequent MRI findings confirmed bilateral aplasia of the posterior semicircular canals, consistent with a diagnosis of Waardenburg syndrome type 2. While standard treatments using bilateral Behind-The-Ear (BTE) power hearing aids yielded only modest improvements, cochlear implantation significantly enhanced auditory perception and speech abilities within 18 months. This report underscores the diagnostic intricacies of WS2 and highlights the profound benefits of cochlear implantation in addressing associated auditory challenges.

Cochlear implantation in Waardenburg syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is a genetic condition associated with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this review is to characterize cochlear implant (CI) outcomes in patients with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of WS.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, and Cochrane Library.

REVIEW METHODS

All reports describing defined sets of patients with WS who underwent CI and subsequent evaluation of clinical outcomes were included. To harmonize outcome data between studies that used different measures, a binary variable Favored CI was developed to capture success of procedures (1 = favored, 0 = unfavored) based on original authors' description, commentary, discussion, and conclusions. Expert reviewers independently reviewed and selected articles, extracted data and scored Favored CI values. Synthetic and analytic meta-analyses were implemented using standard analytic techniques.

RESULTS

Twenty articles meeting inclusion criteria provided data on 192 WS patients and 210 CIs. The mean age at CI was 3.8 years (95% confidence interval [95%CI]; 3.1-4.5 years), and the mean duration of follow up was 5.2 years (95% CI; 3.4-7.0 years). Surgical complications were rare (11/210 implants, 5.2%) where gusher was the most common complication. CIs yielded favorable hearing outcomes in 90% (95% CI; 84-94%) of cases, and appear successful for those with temporal bone anomalies (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative synthesis of the study data demonstrates that in the majority of patients with WS, CI yield favorable hearing outcomes and low rates of surgical complications. CI has shown to provide clinical benefits in patients with WS.

Cochlear Implantation in Children with Additional Disabilities: A Systematic Review

This study examines the last 10 years of medical literature on the benefits of cochlear implantation in children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) with additional disabilities. The most recent literature concerning cochlear implants (CIs) in DHH children with additional disabilities was systematically explored through PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science from January 2012 to July 2023. Our two-stage search strategy selected a total of 61 articles concerning CI implantation in children with several forms of additional disabilities: autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, motor disorders, developmental delay, genetic syndromes, and intellectual disability. Overall, many children with additional disabilities benefit from CIs by acquiring greater environmental sound awareness. This, in turn, improves non-verbal communication and adaptive skills, with greater possibilities to relate to others and to be connected with the environment. Instead, despite some improvement, expressive language tends to develop more slowly and to a lesser extent compared to children affected by hearing loss only. Further studies are needed to better appreciate the specificities of each single disability and to personalize interventions, not restricting the analysis to auditory and language skills, but rather applying or developing cross-culturally validated instruments able to reliably assess the developmental trajectory and the quality of life of DHH children with additional disabilities before and after CI.

Outcomes of Cochlear implantation in early-deafened patients with Waardenburg syndrome: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

Objective

This systematic review aims to establish the expected hearing and speech outcomes following cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with profound congenital deafness secondary to Waardenburg syndrome (WS).

Methods

A systematic review of the literature and narrative synthesis was performed in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Databases searched: Medline, Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Collection, and ClinicalTrials.gov. No limits were placed on language or year of publication.

Results

Searches identified 186 abstracts and full texts. Of these, 16 studies met inclusion criteria reporting outcomes in 179 patients and at least 194 implants. Hearing outcomes of those receiving cochlear implantation were generally good. Five studies included genetic analysis of one or more of the participants. A total of 11 peri/post-operative complications were reported. The methodological quality of included studies was modest, mainly comprising noncontrolled case series with small cohort size. All studies were OCEBM grade III-IV.

Conclusion

Cochlear implantation in congenitally deafened children with Waardenburg Syndrome is a well-established intervention as a method of auditory rehabilitation. Due to the uncommon nature of the condition, there is a lack of large-scale high-quality studies examining the use of cochlear implantation in this patient group. However, overall outcomes following implantation are positive with the majority of patients demonstrating improved audiometry, speech perception and speech intelligibility supporting its use in appropriately selected cases.

Hearing and speech performance after cochlear implantation in children with Waardenburg syndrome

Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal-dominant syndrome that can be presented with sensorineural hearing loss. In this report, we describe the outcomes of three children with WS at zero, three, nine, twelve and sixty months after cochlear implant (CI) fitting. The outcomes were assessed using IT-MAIS (Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale - younger than 5 year), MAIS (Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale - older than 5 year), MUSS (Meaningful Use of Speech Scale), and categories of auditory performance and speech intelligibility. The results showed an improvement in auditory and language performance over time, two patients who used CI for 5 years achieved 100% in IT-MAIS and MUSS tests. In addition, both were able to understand sentences in open set and achieve fluent speech. Moreover, both reached fluency on auditory and language performance scale. The third patient with 50 months of follow-up and in the 48 months evaluation, is in category 5 of auditory performance and 3 of speech intelligibility. We concluded that all children who had low levels of hearing and language before cochlear implant have improved hearing and language skills after implantation and rehabilitation.

Biology of human melanocyte development, Piebaldism, and Waardenburg syndrome

Melanocyte development is orchestrated by a complex interconnecting regulatory network of genes and synergistic interactions. Piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome are neurocristopathies that arise from mutations in genes involved in this complex network. Our understanding of melanocyte development, Piebaldism, and Waardenburg syndrome has improved dramatically over the past decade. The diagnosis and classification of Waardenburg syndrome, first proposed in 1992 and based on phenotype, have expanded over the past three decades to include genotype. This review focuses on the current understanding of human melanocyte development and the evaluation and management of Piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome. Management is often challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach.

Evaluation and management of syndromic congenital hearing loss

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to review the evaluation and management of children with syndromic hearing loss. Specific syndromes and the impact of those syndromes on managing hearing loss will be discussed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Improved molecular testing has increased the ability to identify syndromes-associated hearing loss. Accurate diagnosis of syndromic hearing loss can guide discussions regarding prognosis and appropriate management options for the hearing impairment.

SUMMARY

A significant portion of childhood hearing loss is associated with a syndrome. Depending on the syndrome, surgical intervention including a bone-anchored hearing aid or cochlear implant may be helpful. In the future, targeted gene therapies may become a viable option for treating syndromic hearing loss.

Germinal mosaicism of PAX3 mutation caused Waardenburg syndrome type I

OBJECTIVES

Waardenburg syndrome mutations are most often recurrent or de novo. The rate of familial recurrence is low and families with several affected children are extremely rare. In this study, we aimed to clarify the underlying hereditary cause of Waardenburg syndrome type I in two siblings in a Chinese family, with a mother affected by prelingual mild hearing loss and a father who was negative for clinical symptoms of Waardenburg syndrome and had a normal hearing threshold.

METHODS

Complete characteristic features of the family members were recorded and genetic sequencing and parent-child relationship analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The two probands were found to share double mutations in the PAX3/GJB2 genes that caused concurrent hearing loss in Waardenburg syndrome type I. Their mother carried the GJB2 c.109G > A homozygous mutation; however, neither the novel PAX3 c.592delG mutation, nor the Waardenburg syndrome phenotype, was observed in either parent.

CONCLUSION

These previously unreported digenic mutations in PAX3/GJB2 resulted in deafness associated with Waardenburg syndrome type I in this family. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing germinal mosaicism in Waardenburg syndrome. This concept is important because it complicates genetic counseling of this family regarding the risk of recurrence of the mutations in subsequent pregnancies.