Background: Several studies have reported that the audiovestibular system is affected in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate how the audiovestibular system is affected in patients with various stages of chronic kidney disease.
Methods: Sixty participants were divided into three groups: group 1 - controls; group 2 - chronic kidney disease patients receiving conservative treatment; and group 3 - chronic kidney disease patients undergoing regular haemodialysis. Assessments included: standard and high-frequency audiometry and otoacoustic emissions testing, oculomotor tests, and combined vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials testing.
Results: Fifty per cent of group 2 and 60 per cent of group 3 had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. High-frequency pure tone audiometry showed reduced detectability and higher thresholds at 12 kHz and 16 kHz in patients than in controls. Otoacoustic emissions, tracking, optokinetic and combined vestibular-evoked myogenic potential tests showed abnormal results in chronic kidney disease cases.
Conclusion: Both the auditory and vestibular pathways are affected in different stages of chronic kidney disease. High-frequency pure tone audiometry, otoacoustic emissions and combined vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials could be performed routinely in patients with chronic kidney disease, regardless of the disease stage.
Keywords: Chronic Kidney Diseases; Dialysis; Renal; Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials; Vestibular Function Tests.