Auditory and vestibular function in experimental hydrops.

Endolymphatic hydrops is the characteristic morphopathology observed at postmortem examination of temporal bones of Meniere's disease. Surgical induction of endolymphatic hydrops in the guinea pig provides a reproducible animal model for the investigation of some effects of endolymphatic hydrops on inner ear function. Episodic and incapacitating vertigo are classic features of Meniere's disease, although very limited vestibular dysfunction has ever been described for the animal model. On the other hand, the auditory deficits peculiar to Meniere's disease, including fluctuant sensitivity losses and a peak audiogram, are also observed at different stages in the development of experimental hydrops. In future studies the model is likely to provide a means of investigating osmoregulatory function of the inner ear.