Progression of endolymphatic hydrops and vertigo during treatment in Meniere’s disease

Abstract

Background

Patients with Meniere’s disease (MD) receive treatment to reduce vertigo.

Purpose

To explore the fluctuation of vertigo symptoms and the changes in endolymphatic hydrops (EHs) in MD patients during long-term regular medication.

Materials and methods

We enrolled MD patients who had received two magnetic resonance imaging with intravenous contrast agents.

Results

Of the 42 patients in the study, 18(42.9%) had progressive EHs and 3(7.1%) had remission. The change value of the signal intensity ratio (SIR; cochlear perilymph/cerebellum) on the affected side (1.2) was larger than that on the healthy side (0.9), but there was no statistical difference. Among the 30 patients followed up, two patients had complete control of vertigo, two patients had substantial control, and three patients had worse control. The other 23 patients had insignificant control of vertigo symptoms before and after treatment. The correlation between the progression of cochlear and vestibular hydrops and the improvement of vertigo symptoms in MD patients was not significant.

Conclusions and significance

In treated patients with MD, EHs may progress or relieve over the long course of the disease. But there was no correlation between the development of EHs and changes in vertigo symptoms.

Chinese abstract

背景：梅尼埃病 (MD) 患者通过治疗以减轻眩晕。

目的：探讨MD 患者在长期定期服药期间眩晕症状的波动及内淋巴积水（EHs）的变化。

材料和方法：我们招募了接受过两次静脉造影磁共振成像的 MD 患者。

结果：被研究的 42 名患者中, 18 名（42.9%）有EH加重, 3 名（7.1%）有缓解。受累侧的信号强度比（SIR；耳蜗外淋巴/小脑）的变化值（1.2）大于健康侧（0.9）, 但无统计学差异。在30例随访患者中, 2例眩晕完全控制, 2例基本控制, 3例控制较差。其他 23 名患者的眩晕症状在治疗前后改善不大。MD 患者耳蜗和前庭积水的发展和眩晕症状的改善之间, 相关性不显著。

结论和意义：对于接受治疗的 MD 患者, 在其漫长的病程期间, EH 可能会发展或缓解。但 EH的发展与眩晕症状变化之间无相关性。

Keywords:

• Endolymphatic hydrops
• vertigo
• treatment
• magnetic resonance imaging

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.