ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The diagnosis of Meniere's disease is based on audiological test and clinical symptoms. Cochlear Hydrops Analysis Masking Procedure (CHAMP) was introduced as a test for detecting changes in physical characteristics of basilar membrane by hydrops of endolympahtic system. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value and usefulness of CHAMP tests for detection of endolymphatic hydrops. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: This study was performed on 11 cases of Meniere's disease and 10 cases of vestibular neuritis who visited ENT outpatient clinic and 25 cases of normal healthy volunteers. We defined the positive value as being less than 0.3 ms in latency delay (0.5 kHz HPN-click alone) and less than 0.95 nV in compound amplitude ratio (click alone 0.5 kHz HPN/ click alone) regardless of age or sex. RESULTS: There were significant latency delays in the Meniere's disease group compared with the vestibular neuritis and normal control group. The amplitude ratio gave significant differences between the Meniere's disease group and the normal group but there were no differences between the Meniere's disease group and the vestibular neuritis group. Without assuming the test failure, the sensitivity and specificity of latency delay was 81% and 100%, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of amplitude ratio was 100% and 84%, respectively. In 8 of 54 cases (14.8%), we couldn't get interpretable wave. CONCLUSION: CHAMP test is a clinically useful method that can detect endolymphatic hydrops and it can be used as an objective test for the diagonosis of Meniere's disease.