[Treatment of Ménière's disease. Middle ear infusion with lidocaine and steroid solution]

Before considering the surgical treatment of patients with Ménière disease who would resist to various conservative therapies, including oral drug therapy, the author experimented the inner ear anesthetic therapy or the middle ear infusion therapy with a steroid solution, and each therapeutic result was compared. The results were as follows: 1) The effectiveness of the inner ear anesthetic therapy for vertigo was noted in 42 ears out of the total 47, while the effectiveness of the middle ear steroid infusion therapy for vertigo was found in all treated 21 ears. 2) Although both therapies proved non-effective for hearing disturbance, excluding special cases, the former therapy was found effective for it in 26 ears among 42. 3) For other concomitant symptoms such as the full sensation of ear obturation, head heaviness, and stiff shoulders, both therapies were considerably effective. It was concluded from these results that the first choice of therapy for patients with Ménière disease who should resist to all conservative therapies should be the middle ear steroid infusion therapy at the out-patient clinic, and the second choice would be the inner ear anesthetic therapy, and that both therapies were worth while experimenting before considering surgical treatment.