Outcome audiologici e vestibolari a lungo termine in pazienti ad esordio asintomatico.

Introduction: Congenital Cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) is the most common non-genetic cause of sensorineural hearing loss in childhood. Further research is needed to better define the classification of individuals at birth and to have a deeper understanding of the long-term outcomes for so defined children. Moreover, scientific evidence suggesting possible involvement of the posterior labyrinth has highlighted the importance of integrating audiological evaluation with vestibular assessment. The aim of this study is to conduct a long-term evaluation of auditory and vestibular outcomes in patients with asymptomatic onset of cCMV, with the goal of improving knowledge of the clinical presentation characteristics of the infection in this patient category and thereby improving current follow-up programs. Materials and Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted by the multidisciplinary team of the Audiology service and the Regional Center for Perinatal Infectious Diseases at the AOU Federico II of Naples, covering the period from 2002 to 2023. The study aimed to analyze auditory and vestibular outcomes in a sample of 159 children with asymptomatic onset of congenital CMV infection. Results: Audiological evaluations identified 8 out of 159 (5%) children with late-onset sensorineural hearing loss and 5 out of 28 (17.9%) children with vestibular deficits in the absence of hearing loss. Conclusions: In children with asymptomatic onset congenital infection, the risk of developing late-onset hearing loss is very low, thus prolonged follow-up is not necessary. However, given the higher risk of developing vestibular deficits, regardless of hearing involvement, routine vestibular function evaluations are necessary.