[Bilateral malfunction of peripheral vestibular organs. Observations of 20 cases of Dandy syndrome].

BACKGROUND

Dandy's Syndrome initially provokes dizziness and vertigo. Later on patients suffer from motion unsteadiness especially in dark surroundings and from oscillopsies. Gentamicin is ototoxic mostly for the vestibular part of the inner ear, and it is nephrotoxic. It may cause transitory renal dysfunction. Chronic or acute renal insufficiencies inhibit gentamicin clearance.

PATIENTS: Among 20 cases we found 15 who had previously been treated with aminoglycosides (13 with gentamicin and two with streptomycin). Ten of our patients showed symptoms of preexistant chronic nephrosis or of transitory renal insufficiency caused by gentamicin therapy. In all 13 cases, peripheral vestibular function was destroyed or severely damaged by antibiotic. The same patients had no hearing loss.

CONCLUSIONS

The different reactions of the cochlear and the vestibular end organs support the theoretical basis for transtympanic gentamicin treatment of Menière's disease.--Other reasons for Dandy's Syndrome were bilateral Menière's disease, skull fractures, and bilateral vestibular disorders.