SLC26A4 Genotype, But Not Cochlear Radiologic Structure, Is Correlated With Hearing Loss in Ears With an Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct

Objectives/Hypothesis: Identify correlations among SLC26A4 genotype, cochlear structural anomalies, and hearing loss associated with enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct (EVA). Study Design: Prospective cohort survey, National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, a federal biomedical research facility. Methods: Eighty-three individuals, 11 months to 59 years of age, with EVA in at least one ear were studied. Correlations among pure-tone hearing thresholds, number of mutant SLC26A4 alleles, and the presence of cochlear anomalies detected by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging were examined. Results: Linear mixed-effects model indicated significantly poorer hearing in ears with EVA in individuals with two mutant alleles of SLC26A4 than in those with EVA and a single mutant allele (P = .012) or no mutant alleles (P = .007) in this gene. There was no detectable relationship between degree of hearing loss and the presence of structural cochlear anomalies. Conclusions: The number of mutant alleles of SLC26A4, but not the presence of cochlear anomalies, has a significant association with severity of hearing loss in ears with EVA. This information will be useful for prognostic counseling of patients and families with EVA.