Vertigo Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Vertigo, including details on causes, symptoms, treatment, dizziness.

Screening for Menière's disease in the general population - the needle in the haystack.

Radtke A, von Brevern M, Feldmann M, Lezius F, Ziese T, Lempert T, Neuhauser H

Neurologische Klinik, Charité, Berlin, Germany.

Conclusion. Based on clinical history alone, 98.4% of the population with vestibular vertigo do not qualify for a diagnosis of Menière's disease (MD). Although frequent in dizziness clinics, MD is rare in the general population. Objective. To narrow down the prevalence of MD in the general population. Subjects and methods. A representative sample adult population sample (n=4869) was screened for moderate or severe dizziness/vertigo. Subsequently, 1003 participants completed a validated neurotologic telephone interview on vestibular vertigo (VV). Prevalence of MD was determined by stepwise application of clinical criteria according to the AAO (1995): (1) at least two vertigo attacks of >/=20 min duration, (2) unilateral hearing loss, and (3) accompanying cochlear symptoms. Results. Lifetime prevalence of VV was 7.4%. Of 243 participants with VV, 51 (21%) had recurrent vertigo lasting >/=20 min. Of these, nine reported unilateral hearing loss, and four had accompanying cochlear symptoms (1.6% of VV patients, population prevalence 0.12%).

Published 15 February 2008 in Acta Otolaryngol, 128(3): 272-6.
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