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Survey of Ménière's disease in a subspecialty referral practice.

Vrabec JT, Simon LM, Coker NJ

Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. jvrabec@bcm.tmc.edu

OBJECTIVES: To define the prevalence of definite Ménière's disease (MD) among patients presenting with characteristic symptoms and examine the utility of published diagnostic guidelines. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective review in an academic referral practice. RESULTS: The prevalence of definite MD in these 295 individuals was 64%. The next-largest group (23%) consisted of patients with only cochlear symptoms. Those initially classified as probable are usually reclassified as definite with extended follow-up. Of those with definite MD, the mean duration of disease at last follow-up was 7.6 years, 56% were female, 19% had bilateral disease, and 34% required surgical management for vertigo. CONCLUSIONS: The 1995 AAO-HNS guidelines are useful for classification of MD according to certainty of diagnosis and severity of disease, though some modifications could be considered. SIGNIFICANCE: Application of consistent diagnostic criteria is essential for epidemiological, genetic, or outcomes studies of Ménière's disease.

Published 1 August 2007 in Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 137(2): 213-7.
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