title: Long-term prognosis of hearing loss in patients with unilateral Ménière's disease.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The finding of deteriorated hearing loss at the initial visit at middle to high frequencies is a factor of poor hearing prognosis in Ménière's disease. Early intervention with instructions for lifestyle changes may lead to good outcomes in hearing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  An attempt was made to examine long-term changes in hearing loss in unilateral Ménière's disease and factors associated with prognosis of hearing loss retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on their last hearing level of the affected ear, 36 patients were subdivided into two groups: the poor prognosis of hearing (PPH) group and the good prognosis of hearing (GPH) group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the PPH group, the hearing levels at the initial visit at middle and high frequencies were significantly worse than those in the GPH group. Moreover, the hearing loss progressed during the first 2 years of the disease, and stayed flat to approximately 50 dB at the later stage. Conversely, the hearing loss at the onset in the GPH group showed no further progression over the first 2 years, and remained constant to approximately 35 dB at the later stage. In addition, the mean intervals from the onset to the initial visit in the PPH group were significantly longer than those in the GPH group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tokushima Graduate School , Tokushima.
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueeda
authors.forename: Arata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: Suetaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiike
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inohara
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Endolymphatic hydrops; early intervention; vertigo attack