Endolymphatic hydrops in the unaffected ear of patients with unilateral Ménière's disease.

Purpose: Current studies show that frequency tuning modification is a good marker for the detection of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with Ménière's disease (MD). The purpose of the present study is to analyze the auditory and vestibular function with audiometric and vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) responses, respectively, in both the affected and unaffected ears of patients with unilateral MD using MRI as diagnostic support for the degree of EH.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 76 consecutive patients with unilateral definite MD (age 55 (28-75); 39 women, 37 men).

Endolymphatic hydrops severity in magnetic resonance imaging evidences disparate vestibular test results.

Objectives: It has been suggested that in Ménière's disease (MD) a dissociated result in the caloric test (abnormal result) and video head-impulse test (normal result) probably indicates that hydrops affects the membranous labyrinth in the horizontal semicircular canal (HSC). The hypothesis in this study is that based on endolymphatic hydrops' cochleocentric progression, hydrops should also be more severe in the vestibule of these patients than in those for whom both tests are normal.

Methods: 22 consecutive patients with unilateral definite MD were included and classified as NN if both tests were normal or AN if the caloric test was abnormal.