BAEPs of children with malignant tumor undergoing cisplatin treatment

: The effect of cisplatin on the auditory nervous system was examined in five children using brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs). The cases comprized of two neuroblastoma, one yolk sac tumor one neurofibrosarcoma and one Hodgkin's disease. All patients except for one infant aged eight months showed a normal audiogram in the pre-treatment examination. Cisplatin was administered at a dose of 75-105 mg/m2 (body surface area). BAEP tests were performed after cisplatin treatment from two weeks to 20 months. The patients were tested at rest in bed using stimulation with a 3 KHz, 80-dBHL click at 150-msec intervals 2,000 times. Four cases showed an abnormal BAEP pattern in the post-treatment examination. Two of them showed not only delayed conduction velocity of the first wave but also auditory disturbance, but these findings were improved after discontinuation of drug administration. We concluded that cisplatin frequently affects the auditory nervous system, and that this disturbance might be transient in the early stage.