Low frequency hereditary deafness in man with childhood onset.

A large kindred of hereditary deaf affected with a progressive sensorineural loss that begins during childhood with the low audiologic frequencies is described. Deafness progresses slowly through adolescence, when losses of up to 70 decibels are often detected. Affected adults present profound losses at all frequencies. Genetically, this deafness is transmitted as a simple, dominant, and autosomal mutation. No associated abnormalities have been detected in studies involving medical examinations, care histories, quantitation of several blood serum components, electrocardiograms, electrophoretograms, and karyotypes.