title: Ménière's disease: a challenging and relentless disorder.
abstract: Ménière's disease (MD) is characterized by episodic vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus, and by the presence of endolymphatic hydrops on postmortem examination. This disease continues to be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Patients with MD range from minimally symptomatic, highly functional individuals to severely affected, disabled patients. Current management strategies are designed to control the acute and recurrent vestibulopathy but offer minimal remedy for the progressive cochlear dysfunction. Recent research highlights the role of neurotoxicity in the pathogenesis of the cochleovestibular deterioration. This article discusses a patient with MD, and provides an algorithm for the management of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otology and Neurotology, Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Louis Stokes Veteran's Affair Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Lakeside 4528, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. maroun.semaan@UHHospitals.org
authors.forename: Maroun T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Semaan
authors.forename: Cliff A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Megerian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response; D002150:Caloric Tests; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials; D014725:Vestibular Nerve / Q000601:surgery