J Korean Bal Soc.  2004 Dec;3(2):404-409.

The Correlation between the Change in the Degree of the Canal Paresis in Bithermal Caloric Test and the Degree of Hearing Loss after Chemical Labyrinthectomy in Patients with Meniere's Disease

• Kim CW
• Jung SH
• Lee WS

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:The chemical labyrinthectomy with aminoglycoside is a good method for vertigo control in Meniere's disease. It is relatively non-invasive and easy procedure, but hearing loss is a awful complication. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the change in the degree of canal paresis in bithermal caloric test and the degree of hearing change.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty-five patients of Meniere's disease who underwent chemical labyrinthectomy with streptomycin between October 1997 and December 2001 were included in this study. The minimum follow-up period for the patients was 24 months. Medical records were analyzed retrospectively. Criteria had been prescribed in 1995 by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery were used. Forty patients were tested a caloric response before and after the chemical labyrinthectomy. We analyzed the vertigo control rate, the change of the canal paresis and the change of hearing level.
RESULTS
Vertigo was controlled in 90.8% of the 65 patients. Twelve patients of total 65 patients were decreased hearing level more than 10 dB after this procedure. Even though the severity of canal paresis increased, the hearing ability of most patients was unaffected. Some patients who had only slight canal paresis happened to suffer from hearing loss.
CONCLUSION
There was no correlation between the change in the degree of canal paresis in the bithermal caloric test and the degree of the hearing change.

Keyword

Labyrinth; Caloric tests; Hearing loss

MeSH Terms

Caloric Tests*
Ear, Inner
Follow-Up Studies
Hearing Loss*
Hearing*
Humans
Medical Records
Meniere Disease*
Neck
Paresis*
Retrospective Studies
Streptomycin
Vertigo
Streptomycin