Epley's maneuver in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo associated with Meniere's disease.

UNLABELLED: The effects of Epley's maneuver in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) associated with Menière's disease are controversial.

AIMS: To evaluate the progression of positional vertigo and nystagmus after one or more of Epley's maneuvers in BPPV associated with Menière's disease, and the recurrence of BPPV.

METHOD: a retrospective study of 62 patients with BPPV associated with Menière's disease, that underwent Epley's maneuver, and that were monitored during 12 months after elimination of positional nystagmus.

RESULTS: One Epley's maneuver was required to eliminate positional nystagmus in 80.7% of the patients, two in 16.1%, and three in 3.2%; after elimination of nystagmus, positional vertigo was suppressed in 71.0% of the patients, improved in 27.4% and remained unaltered in 1.6%. Four weeks after elimination of positional nystagmus, all patients were asymptomatic. Recurrence of BPPV was seen in 19.4% of the cases, with elimination of the positional vertigo and nystagmus by means of the specific maneuver for the involved canal.

CONCLUSION: In BPPV associated with Menière's disease, vertigo and positioning nystagmus were eliminated with one, two or three Epley maneuvers. BPPV recurrence was resolved by using a specific maneuver for the affected canal.