Meniere‘s disease

The etiology, pathophysiology, and natural history of Meniere’s syndrome are poorly understood. The reported studies have had inadequate followup or insufficient numbers of patients to allow conclusions about the natural history. Our study group was 119 patients who had the classic symptom complex of episodic vertigo, tinnitus, and hear-ing loss in the year 1970. After initial review of these charts, follow-up information was obtained by questionnaire, telephone interview, chart review, or repeat examination, when possible, both in 1983 and in 1988, for a total followup of 18 years. In the patients with followups of at least 14 years, vertiginous episodes had disappeared completely in 50 % of patients and somewhat resolved in 28%; hearing was absent in 48 % and worse in 21%. Surprisingly, 43 % of patients underwent surgery at some point for control of vertigo. Bilateral disease was present initially in 13 % and developed subsequently in 45 % of patients. Other areas reviewed included the efficacy of long-term medical treatment, frequency and severity of vertiginous attacks, and contralateral ear symp-toms. (OTOLARYNGOL HEAD NECK SURG 1991;104:783.] Since Prosper Meniere’s ’ original description of th