Vasopressin in definite Meniere's disease with positive electrocochleographic findings

Abstract

Conclusion: There was no evidence of a mean raised vasopressin level in 80 subjects suffering from definite Meniere's disease with positive electrocochleographic findings. There was no correlation with stress. The only group with a mildly raised level comprised those who had had a vertigo attack within a day. The most likely cause is nausea, which is the most potent trigger for vasopressin release. Objective: It has been claimed that patients with Meniere's disease have raised vasopressin levels. This has been linked with a long-standing notion that that there is a link between stress and Meniere's disease, so that an increase in vasopressin could trigger a vertigo attack. Methods: Serum vasopressin concentrations were measured in 80 patients with Meniere's disease whose diagnosis was based on conventional symptom criteria plus electrocochleographic evidence of endolymphatic hydrops. Results: The community mean for vasopressin is 2.2 pmol/L (SD = 2.4). For all 80 Meniere's patients the mean vasopressin concentration was 2.1 pmol/L (SD = 1.6), and 2.8 pmol/L (SD = 0.9) when the last attack was within a day.