[Characteristics and aeromedical evaluation of Meniere's disease in flight aircrew].

OBJECTIVE: To find out the clinical characteristics of Meniere's disease in flight aircrew and discuss relevant principles of clinical aviation medicine, in order to summarize experience in medical evaluation of aircrew.

METHOD: Collect the data of 35 cases that were diagnosed with Meniere's disease from 1966 to 2011 in our hospital and analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and flight conclusion of them.

RESULT: Among the 35 cases, 34 patients complained of vertigo. 27 patients complained of tinnitus and 21 patients complained of hearing loss. (1) 18 cases manifested typical symptoms of Meniere's disease (paroxysmal vertigo, fluctuating neurosensory hearing loss, tinnitus and ear fullness); (2) 7 patients showed the symptoms of vertigo and tinnitus, not complaining of significant hearing loss (after inspection. 4 of them proved the low-frequency hearing loss); (3) 7 patients only manifested as vertigo; (4) 2 patients manifested as tinnitus and hearing loss. 1 patients manifested only hearing loss. On the basis of the diagnostic criteria of Meniere's disease formulated hy Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. 22 patients were diagnosed with definite Meniere's disease, 2 patients were diagnosed with probable Meniere's disease, 11 patients were diagnosed with possible Meniere's disease. For patients with definite Meniere's disease and probable Meniere's disease, the phases of the disease were: 11 cases of phase I, 7 case of phase II and 6 case of phase III. The flight conclusion of all the 35 patients was permanent grounding. The time from the attack of the disease to receiving the conclusion of permanent grounding fluctuated from three months to 11 years.

CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of Meniere's disease of flight aircrew must he cautious. For patients with atypical symptoms of Meniere's disease, the diagnosis should be made in the case of completely ruling out other possible diseases. Once be diagnosed, a patient should normally be flight unqualified. The flying waiver would he recommended only under exceptional circumstances. The criterion of waiver condition need to be further explored in the future.