Study carried out to investigate the relationship of amphotericin B (AmB) therapy with hearing loss developing in patients with rhinocerebral aspergillosis during prolonged AmB therapy.

To study the effect of prolonged AmB therapy on the hearing acuity of patients suffering from invasive fungal sinusitis. Setting and design: Nonrandomized prospective study carried in Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery from January, 2010 to June, 2013.

High frequency pure tone audiometry (PTA) and cold caloric test (CCT) were done for all patients before starting of therapy with AmB. Both tests were repeated at 500 mg, 1 and 2 gm of AmB administration. Follow-up was done for all patients at 3 and 6 months after completion of therapy.

Twenty-four patients of invasive fungal sinusitis included. On prolonged AmB therapy some patients had deterioration in hearing. But these changes were not statistically significant. The changes were mild and shift was one grade above or below. It was also seen that the hearing complaints were reported in the middle of the therapy although all these patients had baseline hearing loss.

Amphotericin B does cause some change in hearing pattern; although not statistically significant. A further study is required with more number of patients so as to say definitively that AmB causes a change in hearing. Though these patients have numerous factors which can affect hearing in many ways, a systematic study is required to go a long way in clearing the doubts attached to AmB therapy.

Amphotericin related hearing loss has not been reported in English literature till date. Our study focuses on the effect of AmB on hearing. Amphotericin B does cause some change in hearing pattern, although not statistically significant. All the patients complained of hearing deterioration while some showed improvement on audiogram (though not significant) showing a paradoxical feature.

Mohindra S, Gupta B, Mohindra S, Gupta K, Singh D. Hearing Loss with Amphotericin B Therapy in Patients with Rhinocerebral Aspergillosis: Is it a Reality? J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(2):66-69.