Tympanic electrocochleography for evaluation of endolymphatic hydrops.

There has been increased interest in electrocochleography for the diagnosis and intraoperative monitoring of patients with endolymphatic hydrops. Attention has been focused on the determination of the summating potential:action potential (SP:AP) ratio from alternating polarity clicks. Review of this technique at the University of Minnesota led to a reevaluation of the usual interpretation of these recordings. Separate examination of the rarefaction and condensation click recordings provides insight into abnormal response patterns. Cases are presented to illustrate a variety of normal and abnormal patterns including abnormal differences in the latency of condensation and rarefaction-click-generated action potentials, increased summating potential, uncanceled cochlear microphonic, and reduced action potential and summating potential amplitudes. These response categories may be useful in understanding the pathophysiology of Meniere's disease.