Meniere's Disease

Abstract

AS DESCRIBED BY Clemis and Shambaugh,¹Ménière's disease is a common, chronic, and benign disorder of the inner ear, due to increased pressure of endolymphatic fluid, resulting in attacks of vertigo, in loss of sensorineural hearing, in tinnitus, and in a sensation of fullness or pressure in the ear; any one or all symptoms may be present. Especially characteristic of this disease are natural spontaneous remissions and exacerbations which make therapeutic results difficult to assess. Shambaugh²suggests that the saccus endolymphaticus may hold the key to an understanding of Ménière's disease. It appears that deficient resorption of endolymph by the endolymphatic sac may be the reason for the excess volume of endolymph. Shambaugh was first to report that brisk bleeding is normally observed from the wall of the endolymphatic sac is it is uncovered. In contrast, he has been impressed with rather marked ischemia of the sac wall