Follow-up vestibular examination in Menière's disease

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurology
• Audiology

Background:

• Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear.
• It is characterized by episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and aural fullness.
• The progression of audio-vestibular damage in Meniere's disease is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal changes in audio-vestibular function in patients with unilateral Meniere's disease.
• To identify factors associated with the progression of vestibular and audiological deficits.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 53 patients with unilateral Meniere's disease.
• Analysis of repeated audio-vestibular examinations conducted between vertiginous spells.
• Correlation of audiogram patterns and caloric test responses with disease duration.

Main Results:

• Most patients exhibited stable caloric response reduction, particularly those with longer disease duration and stable audiograms.
• A minority of patients showed increased or fluctuating caloric reduction, associated with shorter disease duration and fluctuating audiograms.
• Both hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction appear to worsen primarily in the initial years of the disease.

Conclusions:

• Audio-vestibular damage in Meniere's disease may progress differently based on disease duration and audiogram characteristics.
• A parallel progression between vestibular and audiological impairment is suggested.
• Early disease stages are critical for the deterioration of hearing and vestibular function.