Analysis of auditory and vestibular function in patients with unilateral Meniere's disease.

CONCLUSION: The percentage of the unilateral weakness of the caloric response also reflects the clinical progress of Meniere's disease (MD), including clinical hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between hearing status and vestibular function in patients with MD.

METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with unilateral definite MD underwent bithermal air caloric testing, vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing, and pure tone audiometry (PTA). The stages of the disease, clinical hearing level of the diseased ears, and dPTA (the difference in hearing level between ears in each patient) were compared with the percentage of the unilateral weakness of the caloric response and the interaural amplitude difference (IAD) ratio of the VEMP response.

RESULTS: Twenty ears (25.3%) revealed normal caloric responses and 59 ears (74.7%) showed reduced caloric responses. Testing revealed that the VEMPs were normal in 49 ears (62%), while 30 ears (38%) had abnormal VEMPs. The percentage of the unilateral weakness of the caloric response was positively correlated with the clinical hearing level of the diseased ears (p = 0.006) and the dPTA (p = 0.013).