Clinical characteristics of audio-vestibular impairment in Ménière's disease: does vestibular function deteriorate in accordance with cochlear function?

The clinical course of Ménière's disease and the outcomes of functional examinations were found to be correlated, and a difference was found between the progressions of vestibular and cochlear dysfunction. Neither the total number of definitive vertiginous spells nor the duration of illness correlated significantly with the degree of audio-vestibular dysfunction. In contrast, frequent vertiginous spells were clearly associated with preservation of audio-vestibular function. Moreover, the clinical characteristics of those patients who experienced less than one definitive vertiginous spell per year were distinct from those of other patients, although both groups showed the typical symptoms of Ménière's disease.