Vestibular & Balance Assessment in Hepatitis C Virus Patients Undergoing (Sovaldi/Daklinza) Regimen

Department of 1,2,3Audiology, E.N.T, 4Internal Medicine, Hepatogastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt. ABSTRACT Background: Previous Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) antiviral drugs reported to cause ototoxicity. Aim: To detect any possible adverse effects of Sovaldi/ Daklinza regimen related to vestibular & balance functions. Patients and Methods: Vestibular & balance were assessed in a total number of thirty adult HCV patients , ranging from twenty to sixty years old before administration of (Sovaldi/Daklinza) and three months later , using Vestibular office tests (Head shake test, Head thrust test, Fukuda stepping test& one leg stance). Videonystagmography (VNG), Sensory organization test (SOT) of Dynamic posturagraphy. Results: After treatment, all patients had normal vestibular office tests, normal VNG testing except for three patients (10% of the study sample) showed positional nystagmus after treatment that wasn’t present before receiving Sovaldi/ Daclinza & normal balance function as demonstrated by SOT of Dynamic posturagraphy, with non-statistical significant difference when comparing before and after treatment findings. Conclusion: Sovaldi/Daklinza regimen used in HCV treatment has no statistically significant effect on vestibular & balance function.