Noninvasive perilymphatic pressure measurement in patients with Meniere's disease and patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Objective: Inner ear disorders are proposed to be affected by changes in in ner ear hydrostatic pressure. In humans, the perilymphatic hydrostatic pres sure can be assessed in a noninvasive way with the MMS-10 Tympanic Displace ment Analyser. In this study, measurements were performed in patients with Meniere's disease and patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL), and the results were compared with those of normal hearing e ars. The measurement technique has been evaluated as a possible additional diagnostic tool for Meniere's disease or ISSHL. Study Design: The hydrostatic perilymphatic pressure was measured noninvasi vely with the MMS-10 Tympanic Displacement Analyser. Setting: Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University Hospital. Patients: Seventy-seven patients with Meniere's disease, 28 patients with I SSHL, and 50 normal healing subjects. Intervention: Diagnostic. Main Outcome Measure: Significant differences of perilymphatic pressure mea surement results, represented by the measurement parameters Vi and Vm, in a ffected, nonaffected and normal hearing ears. Results: On average, the measurement results showed no significant differen ces between affected (by Meniere's disease or ISSHL), nonaffected, and norm al hearing ears. Conclusions: In affected tars, perilymphatic pressure measured noninvasivel y did not differ significantly from the pressure in nonaffected and normal hearing ears. The tympanic membrane displacement technique cannot be consid ered an additional tool to confirm or reject the diagnosis of Meniere's dis ease or ISSHL.