Objective: Investigate the auditory pathway in the brainstem of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia submitted to chemotherapy (by intravenous or intrathecal infusion).
Methods: Fourteen children aged between 2 and 12 years with diagnosis of acute lymphoid leukemia were evaluated. The following procedures were used: meatoscopy, acoustic immitance measurements, tonal audiometry, vocal audiometry, transient otoacoustic emissions, and auditory brainstem response.
Results: From the 14 children with normal auditory thresholds, 35.71% showed an alteration in auditory brainstem response, with a predominance of hearing impairment in the lower brainstem. It was found that 80% of the children with alteration had used intrathecal methotrexate less than 30 days and that 40% had the highest cumulative intravenous methotrexate doses.
Conclusion: Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia submitted to chemotherapy, present auditory pathway impairment in the brainstem, with a predominance of a low brainstem.