title: Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with contralateral delayed endolymphatic hydrops.
abstract: We studied vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) in nine patients with unilateral profound hearing loss followed by contralateral delayed hearing fluctuation and episodic vertigo. This condition has been called contralateral delayed endolymphatic hydrops. Five of nine ears with profound hearing loss (56%) showed an absence of VEMPs. One ear (11%) showed decreased responses, and three ears (33%) had normal responses. Of the ears with fluctuation of hearing, six (67%) showed an absence of responses, and three ears (33%) showed normal responses. In four patients we recorded VEMPs before and after oral administration of glycerol. Three hours after glycerol administration, two of four ears with fluctuating hearing loss showed the appearance of VEMPs although there was an absence of VEMPs before glycerol administration. These results suggested that saccular dysfunction could exist not only in the ears with profound hearing loss but also in ears with fluctuating hearing loss and that saccular endolymphatic hydrops could exist in the ears with fluctuating hearing loss. "Contralateral delayed endolymphatic hydrops" might be an appropriate term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohki
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugasawa
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murofushi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001299:Audiometry; D018159:Endolymphatic Hydrops / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests