[An etiological study in a school for the deaf and radiological findings].

Objectives: The causes of sensorineural hearing loss were assessed in a population of students in a school for the deaf.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-one students (34 girls, 57 boys; mean age 10.6 years; range 7 to 20 years) from a school for the deaf were evaluated together with their family tree. Otolaryngologic, ophthalmologic, and systemic physical examinations and audiologic and radiologic investigations were performed.

Results: Sensorineural hearing loss was of genetic origin in 32.9% of the students. No etiologic factor could be determined in 31.9% of the cases. Infectious diseases (38.3%) and consanguinity (26.3%) were found as the most common etiologic factors in nongenetic and genetic sensorineural hearing losses, respectively.

Conclusion: Sensorineural hearing losses due to infectious diseases and consanguineous marriages are preventable conditions. The incidence of sensorineural hearing loss will decline if these two conditions are controlled.