The incidence of Meniere's disease in Kumasi - Ghana

ABSTRACT

Fifty-nine (59) patients with Meniere's disease confirmed according to defined criteria were selected from the sample of one hundred and ninety-eight (198) consecutive patients with the referral diagnosis of Meniere's disease seen at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi between the period of January 1982 to January 1992. This represents an incidence of 0.32 per cent of the total of eighteen thousand two hundred (18;200) new clinic evaluations for all the ENT diseases during the ten year period under the review. Meniere's disease is surely not uncommon in our subregion; the high success rate encountered after conservative treatment in our study shows that it may have a better prognosis among negroes. Because the sensorineural hearing loss stabilizes in most cases after the first 2-3 attacks during the 3 months period in which treatment is received; subsequent investigations; especially if done by a new researcher; will not find the existence of the triad of symptoms necessary for the diagnosis of the disease. Only eleven (11) of our patients continued to have vertiginous attacks with a progressive sensorineural hearing loss and disturbing tinnitus. We could not find any statistical evidence for smoking and alcohol as possible aetiological factors. There was gender balance in the distribution of the disease