No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Beyond frequency: duration, intensity, and quality of life in Ménière’s disease
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 June 2025
Abstract
Objective
To analyse the evolution of the vertigo index and its relationship with perceived disability in unilateral and bilateral Ménière’s disease, assessing differences based on disease progression and clinical subtypes.
Methods
A longitudinal descriptive study was conducted on unilateral and bilateral Ménière’s disease patients, with data collected between 1977 and 2023 from two referral centres. Clinical and functional data were retrospectively reviewed to ensure compliance with updated diagnostic criteria. The vertigo index, integrating episode duration and frequency, quantified vertigo burden. Functional impact was assessed using the six-item American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery disability scale, categorising patients into mild or moderate/severe disability groups.
Results
Bilateral Ménière’s disease patients had a higher proportion of moderate/severe episodes (31.4 per cent) than unilateral Ménière’s disease patients (11 per cent). In unilateral Ménière’s disease patients, disability perception increased after 20 years of disease evolution. The vertigo index declined over time, except in later stages, where episodes were more disabling.
Conclusion
These findings underscore the need for long-term follow up, particularly in bilateral Ménière’s disease, where greater disability was observed. Disease management should adapt over time, addressing both vertigo burden and psycho-affective consequences.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Main Article
- Information
- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.
Footnotes
Tomàs Pérez-Carbonell takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper
The meeting where it was presented was II REUNIÓN DE INVIERNO DE OTONEUROLOGÍA (RIO) in Madrid On February 21.Spain
References
da Costa, SS, de Sousa, LCA, de Toledo Piza, MR. Meniere’s disease: overview, epidemiology, and natural history. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2002;35:455–95CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friberg, U, Stahle, J, Svedberg, A. The natural course of Meniere’s disease. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 1984;406:72–7Google ScholarPubMed
Green, JD Jr, Verrall, A, Gates, GA. Quality of life instruments in Ménière’s disease. Laryngoscope: 2007;117:1622–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Savastano, M, Maron, MB, Mangialaio, M, Longhi, P, Rizzardo, R. Illness behaviour, personality traits, anxiety, and depression in patients with Menière’s disease. J Otolaryngol 1996;25:329–33Google ScholarPubMed
Molnár, A, Maihoub, S, Mavrogeni, P, Tamás, L, Szirmai, Á. Depression scores and quality of life of vertiginous patients, suffering from different vestibular disorders. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2022;279:5173–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, JP, Harris, JP. Impact of Ménière’s disease on quality of life. Otology Neurotol 2001;22:888–94CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lopez-Escamez, JA, Viciana, D, Garrido-Fernandez, P. Impact of bilaterality and headache on health-related quality of life in Meniere’s disease. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2009;118:409–16CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pearson, BW, Brackmann, DE. Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium guidelines for reporting treatment results in Meniere’s disease. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1985;93:579–81CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gürkov, R, Pyykö, I, Zou, J, Kentala, E. What is Menière’s disease? A contemporary re-evaluation of endolymphatic hydrops. J Neurol 2016;263(suppl 1):S71–81CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quimby, AE, Brant, JA, Staab, JP, Ruckenstein, MJ. Development and initial validation of a Meniere’s disease quality of life instrument: the MenQOL. Laryngoscope 2024;134:4351–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lopez-Escamez, JA, Carey, J, Chung, W-H, Goebel, JA, Magnusson, M, Mandalà, M, et al. Diagnostic criteria for Menière’s disease. J Vestib Res 2015;25:1–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Havia, M, Kentala, E. Progression of symptoms of dizziness in Ménière’s disease. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004;130:431–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pérez-Garrigues, H, Lopez-Escamez, JA, Perez, P, Sanz, R, Orts, M, Marco, J, et al. Time course of episodes of definitive vertigo in Meniere’s disease. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008;134:1149–54CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tokumasu, K, Fujino, A, Yoshio, S, Hoshino, I. Prognosis of Menière’s disease by conservative treatment: retrospective study on the time course of the disease. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 1995;519:216–18CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Green, JD, Blum, DJ, Harner, SG. Longitudinal followup of patients with Menière’s disease. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1991;104:783–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Charachon, R, Gratacap, B, Barthez, M, Benoît-Gonin, F. Natural history of Menière’s disease concerning 92 cases from 1971 to 1980 [in French]. Rev Laryngol Otol Rhinol (Bord) 1989;110:453–6Google ScholarPubMed
Pérez-Carbonell, T, Orts-Alborch, M, Pérez-Guillén, V, Tenías-Burillo, JM, Pla-Gil, I, Marco-Algarra, J, et al. A longitudinal study of unilateral Ménière’s disease and clinical evolutionary models. J Laryngol Otol 2023;137:629–36CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pérez-Garrigues, H. Informatics program in the study of patients with Ménière’s vertigo [in Spanish]. An Otorrinolaringol Ibero Am 1992;19:265–74Google Scholar
Lopez-Escamez, JA, Carey, J, Chung, WH, Goebel, JA, Magnusson, M, Mandalà, M, et al. Criterios diagnósticos de enfermedad de Menière: Documento de consenso de la Bárány Society, la Japan Society for Equilibrium Research, la European Academy of Otology and Neurotology (EAONO), la American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp 2016;67:1–7Google Scholar
Belinchon, A, Pérez-Garrigues, H, Tenias, JM. Evolution of symptoms in Ménière’s disease. Audiol Neurootol 2012;17:126–32CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pérez-Carbonell, T, Orts-Alborch, M, Pla-Gil, I, Pérez-Guilén, V, Tenías-Burrillo, JM, Marco-Algarra, J, et al. Bilateral Ménière’s disease according to its form of debut: synchronous and metachronous disease. J Laryngol Otol 2023;137:782–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kentala, E, Levo, H, Pyykko, I, Pyykkő, I. How one hundred and eighty three people with Menière’s disorder relieve their symptoms: a random cohort questionnaire study. Clin Otolaryngol 2013;38:170–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yardley, L, Dibb, B, Osborne, G. Factors associated with quality of life in Meniere’s disease. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci 2003;28:436–41CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hägnebo, C, Melin, L, Larsen, HC, Lindberg, P, Lyttkens, L, Scott, B. The influence of vertigo, hearing impairment and tinnitus on the daily life of Menière patients. Scand Audiol 1997;26:69–76CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Söderman, A-CH, Bagger-Sjöbäck, D, Bergenius, J, Langius, A. Factors influencing quality of life in patients with Ménière’s disease, identified by a multidimensional approach. Otol Neurotol 2002;23:941–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huppert, D, Strupp, M, Brandt, T. Long-term course of Menière’s disease revisited. Acta Otolaryngol 2010;130:644–51CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sakagami, M, Kitahara, T, Okayasu, T, Yamashita, A, Hasukawa, A, Ota, I, et al. Negative prognostic factors for psychological conditions in patients with audiovestibular diseases. Auris Nasus Larynx 2016;43:632–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tokumasu, K, Fujino, A, Naganuma, H, Hoshino, I, Arai, M. Initial symptoms and retrospective evaluation of prognosis in Menière’s disease. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 1996;524:43–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, CS, Paparella, MM, Margolis, RH, Le, C. Audiological profiles and Menière’s disease. Ear Nose Throat J 1995;74:527–32CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oosterveld, WJ. Ménière’s disease, a survey of 408 patients. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Belg 1979;33:428–31Google ScholarPubMed