ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Because the saccule, next to the cochlea, is the second most frequent site of hydrops formation, we evaluated whether vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses can reflect the diagnosis and the stage of Meniere's disease. And we studied about other vestibular disease such as vestibular neuritis and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, we analyzed the results of VEMP in 22 patients (12 men and 10 women) with unilateral definite Meniere's disease, 21 patients (5 men and 16 women) with vestibular neuritis, and 23 patient (4 men and 19 women) with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). All subjects underwent VEMP testing using ipsilateral 1 KHz-tone burst sound with 105 dB nHL. RESULTS: VEMP was present in 86% of Meniere affected ear. The latency of p13 of affected ears in patients with Meniere's disease, vestibular neuritis (VN), BPPV was not significantly prolonged than that of normal ears in the control group except left n23 latency in meniere's disease. In the patients with Meniere's disease, the amplitude-ratio was larger than that of the control group, statistically (p=0.006). And relationship was found in amplitude ratio among groups classified by the stage of Meniere's disease. CONCLUSION: This study shows that amplitude ratio of VEMP response is useful method to determine the severity and prognosis of Meniere's disease. We recommend VEMP to explain to the patient about severity of Meniere's disease quantitatively.