The Ototoxicity of Chloroquine Phosphate

Abstract

In the past 20 years or so there has been a revival of interest in the causes of acquired congenital perceptive nerve deafness. Gregg¹ in 1941 reported the occurrence of cataract in the children of women who had rubella during the first trimester. It was not until a few years later, however, that it became apparent that deafness was the most important sequela.² The increase in knowledge of the other forms of acquired perceptive deafness in more recent times has enabled us to diagnose (and sometimes prevent) cases that would have previously remained obscure or ascribed to hereditary factors. At present some of the known causes include maternal rubella, erythroblastosis fetalis, birth trauma, and the ototoxic drugs. These ototoxic drugs are many, and the list is growing. Perhaps the most important group at present, in view of their widespread use, are the ototoxic antibiotics, including streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin, kanamycin,