Modulation of hearing function following the downgrading or upgrading of endolymphatic hydrops in Meniere's disease patients with endolymphatic duct blockage

PLoS One. 2020 Oct 30;15(10):e0240315. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240315. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The present study was to investigate the dynamics of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) and hearing function, and explore whether the hearing loss is caused by EH alone and whether the hearing function can be modulated by changes in the EH. The extent of EH visualized by gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced inner ear magnetic resonance imaging, hearing thresholds and the summating potential/action potential ratio (-SP/AP ratio) of electrocochleography (ECochG) were recorded prior to and following surgery in 22 patients with intractable Meniere's disease (MD) who underwent endolymphatic duct blockage (EDB). The difference value of the hearing threshold and -SP/AP ratio was significantly positively correlated with the difference value of the endolymph to vestibule-volume ratio (EVVR) and grading of cochlear hydrops between prior to and following surgery. Among patients with a decreased EVVR, the average hearing threshold and -SP/AP ratio was significantly decreased following surgery, as compared to that prior to surgery. Six out of seven patients with a hearing improvement (≥10-dB decline) and 4/5 patients with a negative conversion of EcochG showed downgrading of their hydrops in the cochlea and/or vestibule. By contrast, among patients with an increased EVVR, the average hearing threshold and -SP/AP ratio tended to increase following EDB, as compared with that prior to surgery. One out of two patients with a hearing deterioration (≥10-dB elevation) showed upgrading of her hydrops in both cochlea and vestibule. The present results showed the downgrading of cochlear and/or vestibular hydrops accompanied by the downregulation of the hearing threshold and -SP/AP ratio of EcochG, as well as the upgrading of cochlear and/or vestibular hydrops that tended to upregulate the hearing threshold and -SP/AP ratio of EcochG; this suggested that hearing loss is likely to be caused by hydrops and that the impaired hearing function be modulated by changes in the hydrops.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Audiometry, Evoked Response
  • Ear, Inner / diagnostic imaging*
  • Ear, Inner / physiopathology
  • Endolymphatic Duct / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Gadolinium / administration & dosage
  • Hearing Loss / diagnosis*
  • Hearing Loss / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Meniere Disease / physiopathology
  • Meniere Disease / surgery*
  • Middle Aged
  • Otologic Surgical Procedures
  • Tertiary Care Centers
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Gadolinium

Grants and funding

We were funded by National Natural Science Foundation of china(Grant No.81570928). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.