Ménière's disease in children aged 4-7 years

Abstract

This is a retrospective review of clinical data and audiovestibular test results from four children in whom symptoms suggesting Ménière's disease started at 4-7 years of age. The four patients all had spontaneous recurrent attacks of (spinning) vertigo and fluctuating low frequency sensorineural hearing loss from an early age, suggesting a diagnosis of definite Ménière's disease. Presumably, due to age-related inability to communicate auditory symptoms, the children did not initially meet requirements for a diagnosis of Ménière's disease. However, by 8 years of age, all four children reported tinnitus and/or fullness in the affected ear and, thus, met the AAO criteria for Ménière's disease. Even if information on subjective auditory symptoms is missing, it is reasonable to consider young children with idiopathic spontaneous recurrent attacks of vertigo in whom audiograms reveals fluctuating low frequency hearing loss to have Ménière's disease. This report is a reminder that Ménière's disease may also occur in young children.