Low-Frequency Air-Bone Gaps Indicator for Endolymphatic Hydrops

Is there a relationship between endolymphatic hydrops (EH) and hearing level, focusing on the degree of vestibular EH and low-frequency air-bone gaps (LFABGs), and if so, what are their pathogenic mechanisms?

Bottom line
The appearance of LFABGs suggests deterioration of endolymphatic hydrops, particularly in ears with Ménière’s disease, and could be a useful indicator for evaluating and treating patients with endolymphatic hydrops.

Background: Meniere’s disease (MD) is a disorder of the inner ear that causes vertigo attacks, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. EH, in which excessive endolymph accumulates in the inner ear, typically resulting in sensorineural hearing loss, is a characteristic pathological finding in MD. Occasionally, audiograms of MD patients show unexplained conductive components, or air-bone gaps (ABGs), predominantly at low frequencies, even though no middle ear pathology can be demonstrated.

Study design: Retrospective study of 1,548 ears from 775 patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging examination in a university hospital between January 2012 and December 2015 to investigate possible endolymphatic hydrops.