Evaluation of cytomegalovirus DNA in periymphatic fluid in patients with sensorineural hearing loss using PCR technique

Purpose:Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common congenital infection in developing countries with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) being the most important of its long-term sequelae. The aim of this research was to evaluate the amount of CMV DNA in perilymph of patients with SNHL undergoing cochlear implant (CI) procedure by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional and prospective study was conducted in a group of patients with ages ranging from 1 to 7 years. The perilymph was extracted preoperatively using a Yale spinal needle after opening of the round window. 25 microliters of perilymph was extracted and stored at -80 degrees centigrade. PCR technique was employed to detect CMV DNA. The data was collected and statistically analyzed.Results:A sample size of 41 patients with bilateral profound SNHL was selected. After cochlear implantation, CMV DNA evaluation was performed which was found positive in 18 patients (43.9%) and negative in 23 patients (56.09%) with a statistically significant relationship. No statistical relationship was found with gender, age and other comorbid disorders. 3-6 months’ follow-up was individually performed to compare Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) tests in CMV DNA positive and negative patients, yielding different results which were statistically insignificant.Conclusion:The early detection of CMV infection with real time PCR technique enables us to perform viral screening tests in patients with SNHL.