Hearing loss in Ménière disease

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss in the unilateral form of Ménière disease (MD) is described as a low-frequency sensorineural deficit that has to be greater than 30 dB at least at two contiguous frequencies below 2000 Hz. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the audio metric pattern of the hearing loss in a large series of definite MD patients correlates with parameters proposed by the Barany Society consensus paper. METHODS: The study group was composed by 275 patients suffering from episodes of typical MD vertigo and unilateral low-frequency fluc tuating hearing loss. RESULTS: According to the Barany Society criteria, 133 (48%) patients presented a hearing threshold difference greater than 30 dB between the two ears at least at two contiguous frequencies. In particular, the hearing threshold difference between was greater than 30 dB in 50% of cases at 250 Hz, in 53% of cases at 500 Hz and in 41% of cases at 1 kHz. According to the updated 2015 Barany Society criteria, only 48% of diseases which were previously claimed "definite MD"on the basis of the 1995 AAO guidelines can be really considered definite MD. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the limit of 30 dB of differential hearing threshold between the two ears seems too large, possibly leading to high rates of misdiagnosis.