title: Long-term results of endolymphatic sac drainage with local steroids for intractable Meniere's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Meniere's disease is a common inner ear disease characterized by vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus. Since Meniere's disease is thought to be triggered by an immune insult to inner ear hydrops, we examined endolymphatic sac drainage with intra-endolymphatic sac application of large doses of steroids for intractable Meniere's patients and observed long-term results from 2 years to over a decade until 13 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1998 and 2009, we enrolled and assigned 286 intractable Meniere's patients to two groups: group-I (G-I) included patients who underwent endolymphatic sac drainage with steroid instillation and group-II (G-II) included those who declined endolymphatic sac drainage. Definitive spells and hearing improvement in these two groups were determined for 2-13 years after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the established criteria, vertigo was completely controlled in 88% of patients in G-I in the 2nd year, in 73% in the 12th year and in 70% in the 13th year. These results in G-I were significantly better than those in G-II for 13 years after treatment. Hearing was improved in 49% of patients in G-I in the 2nd year, in 27% in the 12th year and in 25% in the 13th year. These results in G-I were significantly better than those in G-II for 12 years after treatment, but this was not significant in the 13th year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endolymphatic sac drainage with intra-endolymphatic sac application of large doses of steroids could improve long-term follow-up results of hearing as well as vertigo control. This means that the drainage with local steroids could also improve patients' long-term quality in the prime of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. tkitahara@ent.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.forename: Munehisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Atsuhiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morihana
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamakura
authors.forename: Arata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inohara
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D004712:Endolymphatic Sac / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011239:Prednisolone