DEAFNESS FOLLOWING EPIDEMIC PAROTITIS (MUMPS)

COMPLICATIONS of epidemic parotitis are unusual before puberty. One of the least commonly reported complications in childhood is deafness. We wish to report such a case and briefly review part of the literature on the subject. [SEE TABLE I and II IN SOURCE PDF]. Case Report E.J., a 10-year-old Negro female, was admitted to the medical pediatric service because of deafness. She was born after a normal gestation and delivery. She walked at 11 mo., talked at one year of age. She had attained Grade IV in school. Her past history included uncomplicated pertussis, uncomplicated measles, frequent colds, and occasional attacks of sore throat. Mother and father were living and well. There was no family history of syphilis or tuberculosis. The present illness began two weeks previously with swelling of both parotid glands. Seven days later she complained of severe epigastric pain. This pain subsided by the next day when the patient vomited twice. Until this time hearing had been apparently normal. Impaired hearing was first noted eight days after the onset of swelling of the parotid glands, and gradually became worse until the patient could not hear the radio and responded only to loud speech. Subsequently, deafness became total and complete. The child complained of tinnitus with the early onset of deafness; and three days later, on getting out of bed, felt weak and had an ataxic gait. As represented in Table I, four siblings developed uncomplicated clinical epidemic parotitis at about the same time as this patient. Physical examination showed a tall, thin, poorly nourished female child, apparently deaf. Temperature was 37.2° C., pulse 108/mm., and BP 110/70 mm.Hg. The epitrochlear, cervical, and submandibular lymph nodes were slightly enlarged. The left parotid gland was slightly enlarged.