gms | German Medical Science

Rotational vertigo, tinnitus, aural pressure and hearing loss are known to be the symptoms of Ménière´s disease. So people are interviewed during anamnesis whether they suffer from one or more of these.

A tool to simplify the diagnosis procedure can be a questionnaire or a structured interview. Gibson [Ref. 1] and Conlon and Gibson [Ref. 2] published an item in which not only the symptoms themselves are to be asked for, but their combination with the others and the period of time these symptoms last, too. This questionnaire offers a ten point scale for quantifiing. The more symptoms, their lasting time and/or their combination with other symptoms are reported by the patient, the more points will be added to the score, the more likely it is that the patient suffers from Ménière´s disease. Seven and more points enhances, three or less reduces the probability of a Ménière´s disease.

90 patients participated in this study (mean 51 years, standard deviation 13 years).

The results of these questionnaires were matched with the diagnostic examinations of phase audiometry and electrocochleography.

The Gibson score is negatively correlated (-0.52) to the phase audiometry and slightly positively (0.34) to the electrocochleography results.

Nevertheless electrocochleography is still necessary when phase audiometry shows pathological data, for electrocochleography is an objective examination, while phase audiometry and questionnaires both are dependent from a patient´s cooperation.

The Gibson score is an advantage to other inquiries because of its simplicity and possible quantification due to the 10 point scoring. The Gibson score is useful, although it should not be overestimated. Sometimes patients find it difficult to answer questions about combined occurrences of symptoms. Even Conlon and Gibson do not predict a Ménière´s disease from the outcome of the score, but speak of high scores to be „more likely“ for Ménière´s disease.