What is it about?
The predominant theory for Meniere's vertigo attacks has been Schuknecht's rupture theory with mixing of endolymph with perilymph in the cochlea. It seems unlikely that such an event could cause regular vertigo attacks. There is strong electrophysiological evidence that ruptures do not usually occur. The evidence supports the likelihood that the changing direction of nystagmus during attacks is due endolymph flowing in one direction and then in the opposite direction.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Cone beam CT imaging of the inner ear suggests that endolymph blockages are are feature of Meniere's disease and that a possible initiating event is blockage of the reuniting duct by detached saccular otoconia.
Perspectives
The age of onset spectrum for Meniere's disease and for BPPV are identical, and this must raise the possibility that the two conditions have the same fundamental cause.
Prof Jeremy Hornibrook
Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Saccular otoconia as a cause of Ménière's disease: hypothesis based on two theories, The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, August 2018, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0022215118001366.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
