Some aspects of hearing change in Meniére's patients.

Fifteen patients with Meniére's disease (8 male and 7 female) in whom as of December 1988 a follow-up audiovestibular study could be made for 2 to 10 years, and who received conservative treatment were assessed for prognosis of the disease, particularly for hearing. Hearing, when compared with the initial level, was deteriorated in 8 ears (by 60 dB HL or more in all cases), remained unchanged in 8 ears (41-68.8 dB HL) and improved in 2 ears (by 21.3 or 35 dB HL). The vertigo period was longer and attacks tended to occur more frequently in the groups with deteriorated hearing and with unchanged hearing than in the group with improved hearing. Patients whose hearing (during remission) dropped by more than 10 dB from the initial hearing level (during remission) within 3 years of the first audiovestibular examination tended to show a further declining hearing level afterwards. This was interpreted as indicating that the outcome of hearing can be predicted on the basis of observations (audiograms) made during the initial 3 years of the disease.