RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Cisplatin can cause cochlear damage by oxidative stress in hair cells, but there are few studies regarding toxicity in the central auditory pathways. OBJECTIVE: To study cisplatin neurotoxicity in the central auditory pathways in children treated with high doses cisplatin for solid malignant tumors. METHODS: Thirteen children (Group S) aged 3-19 years who had been treated with cisplatin (60-120 mg/m(2)/cycle) were studied using evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOA), conventional auditory evaluation and auditory brainstem response (ABR). Thirteen normal children matched for age and sex composed the control group (Group C). RESULTS: Group S - 7.5% percent of ears showed enlargement of latencies of waves I and V, and 3.8% of wave III. Six ears (23%) showed enlarged interpeak intervals. Four ears showed increased interpeak I-III and two showed increased interpeak III-V. The results were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Interpeak III-V differed significantly between groups S and C when only the left ears were considered. EOA results were normal in both groups. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Abnormal values in the interpeak I-III associated with normal distortion product OEA suggest neurotoxicity in the brainstem pathways. The statistical significance reached only in the left ear may be due to small number of cases studied.