Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
Endolymphatic Duct Blockage as a Surgical Treatment Option for Ménière's Disease
Published on: April 28, 2023
Screening for Menière's disease in the general population - the needle in the haystack
A Radtke1, M von Brevern, M Feldmann
1Neurologische Klinik, Charité, Berlin, Germany. andre.radtke@charite.de
Conclusion:
Based on clinical history alone, 98.4% of the population with vestibular vertigo do not qualify for a diagnosis of Menière's disease (MD). Although frequent in dizziness clinics, MD is rare in the general population.
Objective:
To narrow down the prevalence of MD in the general population.
Subjects And Methods:
A representative sample adult population sample (n=4869) was screened for moderate or severe dizziness/vertigo. Subsequently, 1003 participants completed a validated neurotologic telephone interview on vestibular vertigo (VV). Prevalence of MD was determined by stepwise application of clinical criteria according to the AAO (1995): (1) at least two vertigo attacks of > or =20 min duration, (2) unilateral hearing loss, and (3) accompanying cochlear symptoms.
Results:
Lifetime prevalence of VV was 7.4%. Of 243 participants with VV, 51 (21%) had recurrent vertigo lasting > or =20 min. Of these, nine reported unilateral hearing loss, and four had accompanying cochlear symptoms (1.6% of VV patients, population prevalence 0.12%).
