Immunosuppressive treatment in bilateral vestibulopathy with inner ear antibodies.
CONCLUSIONS
Although vestibular recovery was observed after steroid treatment, it remains uncertain whether this improvement was spontaneous or due to medication. These data do not allow us to generally recommend corticosteroid treatment in patients with BVF and inner ear antibodies.


OBJECTIVE
A retrospective study was performed based on the observation of two patients with suspected autoimmune bilateral vestibular failure (BVF) with normal hearing and antilabyrinthine or nervous tissue-specific serum antibodies who showed vestibular recovery after corticosteroid treatment.


METHODS
Twelve patients with BVF and serum inner ear antibodies who had received imuunosuppressive treatment with corticosteroids were evaluated in terms of medical history, repetitive caloric irrigation and repetitive determination of inner ear antibodies. BVF was complete in four patients and incomplete in eight.


RESULTS
After immunosuppressive therapy, four of the 12 patients showed a moderate recovery of the peak slow-phase velocity of horizontal nystagmus induced by bithermal caloric stimulation, which was only transient in two of them.
Deutschländer
Angela
A
Department of Neurology, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. adeutsch@nro.med.uni-muenchen.de
Glaser
Miriam
M
Strupp
Michael
M
Dieterich
Marianne
M
Brandt
Thomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002150:Caloric Tests; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000276:immunology*; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic; D051381:Rats; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000187:drug effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008775:Methylprednisolone