Twenty years of audiology in a patient with Norrie disease

Abstract

Objective: To describe disease progression and treatment outcomes over a 20-year period (ages 5-25) in a young man with Norrie disease (occuloacousticocerebral dysplasia), ND; OMIM #310600. Affected individuals are born blind and develop progressive sensory loss with onset in adolescence. This disease is X-linked and has been associated with mutations of the NDP gene (Xp11.4).

Methods: The patient was followed using repeated audiograms, as well as reports of educational progress and hearing aid use. The specific mutation was found by molecular analysis.

Results: The patient demonstrated progressive sensory loss with good preservation of word recognition. The loss was initially high frequency and asymmetric in adolescence and became more severe, more symmetric and affected practically all frequencies by the end of childhood. Educational progress was affected by the cognitive effects of the syndrome, and hearing aid use was very effective.

Conclusions: A bilateral progressive sensory loss with good preservation of word recognition was documented in detail. The residual word recognition supported good use of hearing aids in this case.