Atmospheric Pressure Changes Linked to ELS Volume Changes in Patients with Unilateral Ménière’s Disease

CLINICAL QUESTION

Is there a correlation between 24-hour changes in atmospheric pressure and endolymphatic space (ELS) volume rates in patients with unilateral Ménière’s disease (uMD) and control groups?

Bottom Line

A decline in ambient atmospheric pressure was suggested to increase the endolymphatic space volume on the affected side in patients with moderate uMD.

Background: Ménière’s disease (MD) is an inner ear disorder associated with vertigo attacks and cochlear symptoms. People with MD are thought to have endolymphatic hydrops; however, the underlying mechanism of MD is unknown. Many patients with MD report that their vertiginous symptoms are exacerbated by changes in weather conditions.

Study design: Retrospective study

Setting: Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan

SYNOPSIS: Researchers sought to learn whether a decrease in atmospheric pressure would be associated with an increase in ELS volume in the affected ears of patients with MD. A total of 101 patients (58 females; median age 57) with successive definite uMD were enrolled in the study. Healthy controls comprised 53 patients (27 females; median age 62) with chronic rhinosinusitis without a history of vertigo/dizziness. Atmospheric pressure data were extracted from the city’s database. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, and images were constructed to evaluate ELS conditions. Statistical analysis showed that a decline in ambient atmospheric pressure was associated with an increase in the ELS volume on the affected side in patients with moderate uMD. In addition, hearing thresholds and vestibular ELS were positively correlated in the affected side of patients with uMD. There was no significant correlation between atmospheric changes and ELS volume changes in healthy controls or in patients with MD as a whole. The authors note that theirs is the first study to show a significant association between atmospheric pressure changes and the ELS volume in patients with MD. Study limitations included the inability to capture ELS volume changes over multiple MRI scans of the same patient.

Citation: Sakagami M, et al. Decrease in atmospheric pressure could increase endolymphatic space volume in Ménière’s disease. Sci Rep. 2025;15:10784. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-95285-3.