Vascular Studies in Menifcre's Syndrome and Disease

Abstract

The hypothesis of neurovascular dysfunction of the blood supply to the labyrinth was tested clinically. Excluding other approaches, an evaluation of cerebral hemodynamics by rheoencephalography was made on 200 patients suffering from Menière's disease or showing evidence of Meniére's syndrome or similar symptoms. The results are compared with those of other pertinent work such as cardiovascular, neurologic and otologic examinations, CSF-study, EEG and x-rays of the skull, pyramids and cervical spine. Four tables summarize the essentials of these findings. Rheoencephalography allowed differentiation between groups of patients with cerebral arteriosclerosis, cerebrovascular insufficiency and (unilateral) cerebrovascular damage. This last group coincided entirely with the diagnosis of genuine Meniére's disease. These results confirm the aforementioned hypothesis. They also establish rheoencephalography as a desirable and critical method for diagnosing Menière's disease. At the same time, a new approach for treating Meniere's disease in its acute stage is suggested.