[Ear, nose and throat disease profile in children with Down syndrome]

Abstract

Introduction: The children with Down syndrome (DS) are at increased risk of ear-nose-throat (ENT) disorders. International recommendations suggest early hearing screening and periodic specialist evaluation. Our goal was to characterize ENT disorders in children with DS, and propose recommendations for the Chilean population.

Patients and method: Cross-sectional, descriptive study, of children with DS, between 6 months and 15 years of age. The data was obtained by a health interview to the parents and review of medical records.

Results: We analyzed 134 patients with an average age of 44.5 months. The 78.8% had ENT disorders, the most frequent ENT disorders was allergic rhinitis and otitis media with effusion. Hearing screening was abnormal in a quarter of the patients, 50% of children over 3 years of age had obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed by polysomnogram. Older children had a statistically higher frequency of ENT disorders.

Conclusions: This series shows a high rate of ENT disorders in children with DS, which supports recommendations for hearing screening, high suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea and routine referral to an ENT specialist for prevention and aggressive therapy in order to reduce hearing loss and improve development of the child with DS.

Keywords: Apnea obstructiva del sueño; Down syndrome; Hearing loss; Hipoacusia; Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Síndrome de Down; Trisomy 21; Trisomía 21.