Long-term course of Menière's disease revisited.
CONCLUSIONS
The investigated studies disclose a large variability of the many symptoms appearing in the course of Menière's disease.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the data of 46 mostly retrospective studies (with a total of 7852 patients).


METHODS
We present a short overview of the literature on the long-term course of Menière's disease. Special emphasis is placed on the most relevant and distressing symptoms of these patients, such as vertigo attacks, vestibular and hearing function, drop attacks, and the probability of transition from unilateral to bilateral involvement.


RESULTS
The frequency of vertigo attacks diminishes within 5-10 years. Hearing loss (of about 50-60 dB) and vestibular function decrement (of about 35-50%) take place mainly in the first 5-10 years of disease. Drop attacks may occur early or late in the course of the disease, and remission is spontaneous in cmost cases. Bilaterality of the condition increases with increasing duration of the disease (up to 35% within 10 years, up to 47% within 20 years).
Huppert
Doreen
D
Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Munich, Munich, Germany. doreen.huppert@med.uni-muenchen.de
Strupp
Michael
M
Brandt
Thomas
T
D001309:Auditory Threshold; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests