Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency as a cause of inner ear diseases

The present study confirms a correlation between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) diagnosis and Ménière's disease (MD). CCSVI could be considered a new ultrasound vascular pattern of the cerebrospinal venous system in patients affected by definite MD. Conversely, the present results showed that CCSVI cannot be considered a pathogenic mechanism for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).

The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between CCSVI and MD and to evaluate if CCSVI can be considered a risk factor also for ISSNHL. Moreover, this study seeks to establish if, even with a different timing of onset and natural history, MD and ISSNHL may share a common pathogenic mechanism.

One hundred and eighty-two patients affected by definite MD, 60 patients affected by ISSNHL, and 100 healthy control patients were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent an echo-color Doppler (ECD) of the cerebrospinal venous flow.

One hundred and fifty-two patients affected by definite MD (83,5%) and 13 patients affected by ISSNHL (21.6%) were positive for CCSVI at the ECD examination of the cerebrospinal venous flow. The healthy control group consisted of 100 subjects and only 21 (21%) showed positivity for CCSVI.