title: [Two cases of Meniere's disease with drop attacks].
abstract: Drop attacks are sudden falls without concurrent vertigo whose etiology may be unknown. Drop attacks are also associated with cardiac, cerebrovascular, psychogenic, and vestibular disorders, in addition to seizures. Vestibular-based drop attacks without loss of consciousness can occur in patients with Meniere's disease. We present 2 cases of drop attack in patients with Meniere's disease. Case 1, a 65-year-old man, experienced 4 such attacks and case 2, a 55-year-old woman, experienced 20 within 2 years of Meniere's disease onset. Case 1 enjoyed spontaneous remission. In case 2, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) administration suppressed attack frequency. Anxiety may predispose individuals to drop attack. Etiologically, inadequate stimulation of otolith organs may induce a sudden vestibulo spinal reflex that, in turn, causes sudden falls. To correctly diagnose drop attacks, the patient must exhibit sudden falls, and transient ischemic attack should be carefully ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hino Municipal Hospital, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Fumiyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunihiro
authors.forename: Yasutomo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000209:etiology