Intratympanic lidocaine instillation for Menière's disease.

OBJECTIVES

We studied the role of intratympanic lidocaine instillation as part of the treatment for vertigo in Menière's disease.

METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively analyzed 40 patients who underwent 74 labyrinth anaesthesias in our center between 1996 and 2006. We studied the attack-free period after instillation, the effect of repetitive procedures and the efficacy according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) (1995) criteria.

RESULTS

Labyrinth anaesthesia was effective in 70% of the studied procedures. If effective, the mean duration of the attack-free period was 12.6 months. Repetition was effective in 80.7% of the procedures if the previous procedure was effective as well. Two years after treatment 21 patients had AAO-HNS functional levels of 1 or 2 and 23 patients were class A or B.

CONCLUSION

Labyrinth anaesthesia is an effective treatment for Menière's disease and a useful tool for the control of symptoms. Repetitive instillation is effective especially when the previous instillation was also effective.