gms | German Medical Science

Fluctuating low tone hearing deficiency with tinnitus and dizziness are met frequently, but described more seldom. Audio- and tympanometrically, otitis media with effusion can be soon excluded. A 40 year old patient with recidivating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo, lasting 3 weeks, and then normalizing spontaneously, is described . The hearing loss increased each time his maximal hearing loss reached 55 dB at 500dB. Whereras years ago, the term of menieriforme vertigo was frequent, Yamasoba [Ref. 1] saw the evolution to M. to Meniere in 11% during 3 years only.Schaaf [Ref. 2] noticed only 3,7% presented the full symptomatics of M. Meniere. Hain [Ref. 3] generally made responsable autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) for low frequency sensorineural hearing loss.He proposed several serologic tests, to proof an autoimmune pathogenesis. A classification of the disease under AIED is more probable than under M. Meniere, whereby the latter is grouped under the general termAIED too, since antibodies against inner ear proteins have been found. Other possible diagnosesare a contraction of the middle ear muscles or of the palatine muscles, which present similar symptoms. Multifrequency- tyampanometry and further serologic exams have to be carried out, in order to secure the diagnosis further.