Research Article

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Meniere’s Disease: Comparing the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Diagnostic Criteria with Vestibular Staging

Abstract

Background and Aim: The AAO-HNS criteria are commonly used to classify Meniere's disease but do not mention the inner ear progression, unlike vestibular staging. This study aimed to compare these methods, filling a gap not explored in previous research.
Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited patients with MD, aged 18 to 60, from June 8, 2022, to March 20, 2023; however, we excluded patients with problems such as difficulty rolling their eyes, difficulty turning their head, conductive or mixed hearing loss, CNS disorders, retrocochlear lesions, pregnancy, and receiving psychotropic drugs. Furthermore, patients with a history of labyrinthitis, vestibular migraine, stroke, BPPV, or bilateral vestibulopathy within the past 6 months were excluded. All patients were tested with audiometry, VEMPs, caloric test, and vHIT. Two neuro-otologists assessed and classified patients with MD according to the AAO-HNS (1990 and 2020) criteria.
Results: Forty-two patients were enrolled. The correlation between vestibular staging and both AAO-HNS (1990 and 2020) criteria was medium (p = 0.02 and p < 0.01, respectively). According to AAO-HNS 1995, 69% of definite MD cases were classified as stage C, whereas all probable MD cases and 30% of possible MD cases were categorized as stage B. Regarding AAO-HNS 2020, 70% of definite MD cases were classified as stage C, whereas 33.3% of probable MD cases were classified as stage B.
Conclusions: A definite MD could predict pathology in the cochleo-sacculo-utricular and lateral canals (stage C), whereas a probable MD could suggest that the lesion involved the cochleo-sacculo-utricular canal (stage B).
TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at Thai Clinical Trials Registry on June 6, 2022 (TCTR20220606003)

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Meniere's disease vestibular test vertigo hearing loss inner ear
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Saelee L, Kasemsiri P, Chayaopas N, Thanawirattananit P, Yimtae K. Cross-Sectional Analysis of Meniere’s Disease: Comparing the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Diagnostic Criteria with Vestibular Staging. Aud Vestib Res. 2025;.