Epidemiological and Clinical Survey on Definite Cases of Bilateral Meniere's Disease as Reported by Seventeen Members of Meniere's Disease Research Committee of Japan During 1975-1976

Abstract

Between April 1975, and December 1976, the second national epidemiological and clinical investigations of Meniere's disease in Japan were carried out by the Meniere's Disease Research Committee, as supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Among 520 patients with definite Meniere's disease, 48 (9.4%) were considered to be bilateral Meniere's disease by all the 17 members of this Research Committee, respectively.Epidemiological and clinical features in 48 patients with bilateral Meniere's disease were collected and statistically analyzed in comparison with 465 cases of unilateral Meniere's disease, in whom affected ears were determined by each reseacher.Characteristic epidemiological and clinical features were as follows:1) Sex-ratio: The male to female ratio in bilateral Meniere's disease was 66:100, respectively.2) Age distribution: Peaks were noted at the age group of 40-49 for both males and females.3) Family history: 4 cases (8.3 percent) of the 48 patients with bilateral involvement had a close relative who had Meniere's disease.4) Preceding events: Mental and physical fatigue before vertiginous attack were reported in 35 and 42 percent of bilateral Meniere's disease series, respectively.5) Season and time of onset: There was a high frequency of vertiginous attack in spring in the bilateral Meniere's disease, and high frequency of such attacks peaked in the afternoon (13:00-14:00).6) Marriage: The incidence of bilateral Meniere's disease was higher in married persons.7) Past history and complication: There was a higher incidence of hypotension and diabetes mellitus in past history in cases of bilateral involvement.8) Hearing impairment in bilateral cases was higher than in unilateral cases.9) The incidence of bilateral Meniere's disease increased with increasing duration of the disease. Such was also found by Enander and Stahle (1967) and Kitahara (1975).10) The most common vertiginous attack in those with bilateral involvement showed the characteristic feature of a more extensive rotatory spontaneous vertigo than was seen in cases of unilateral involvement.