A comparison of two methods of using transtympanic electrocochleography for the diagnosis of Meniere's disease: click summating potential/action potential ratio measurements and tone burst summating potential measurements.

CONCLUSION: Transtympanic electrocochleography (TT ECochG) is helpful for the confirmation of Meniere's disease using tone burst stimuli to measure the amplitude of the frequency specific summating potentials (SP) but not when using the click evoked summating potential versus action potential ratio (SP/AP).

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of TT ECochG as a means of confirming the clinical diagnosis of Meniere's disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 2,717 patients were referred for TT ECochG between August 1998 and September 2008. Each patient was assessed prospectively on clinical grounds according to the AAOHNS criteria and a scale devised by the author. A Meniere's group and a non-Meniere's group were determined and the TT ECochG results were compared between the groups that had similar hearing levels for the particular stimulus employed.

RESULTS: Click SP/AP measurements did not significantly differentiate between populations of Meniere's ears and non-Meniere's ears. Tone burst SP amplitude measurements were significantly different between the populations, especially using frequencies at 500 Hz, 1 kHz, and 2 kHz.