Sensorineural hearing loss in a child with congenital hypothyroidism receiving thyroid hormone replacement therapy

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism remains as one of the most common causes of hearing loss in children, considering that thyroid hormone plays an essential role in the development and maturation of auditory organs. Purpose: To report a case of hearing loss in a child with congenital hypothyroidism who had received thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Case report: Presenting a 3-year-old boy with congenital hypothyroidism, growth and developmental delays, and a very severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. He was diagnosed at 6 months old, and even after subsequent therapies, the hearing impairment of the child remained profound. Clinical question: Could thyroid hormone replacement therapy improve the prognosis of hearing function in congenital hypothyroid patients accompanied by sensorineural hearing loss? Review method: Literature review through database PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCO, EBSCOhost and Embase, using keywords: “congenital hypothyroidism”, “hearing loss”, and “thyroid hormone replacement therapy”. Result: Screening on 1088 articles found no studies that were relevant with the clinical question and inclusion criteria. Conclusion: This report supported the evidence on the effects of congenital hypothyroidism on hearing loss, and the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment in congenital hypothyroid children. A missed diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism in neonates may result in unfavorable effects on the child’s growth and development. Further studies are needed to assess the improvement of hearing function in congenital hypothyroid patients accompanied by sensorineural hearing loss that received thyroid hormone replacement therapy.