Meniere's disease and the use of proton pump inhibitors A preliminary report of a retrospective study

Summary PRINCIPLES: On the basis of previous observations weexamined the possibility of a favourable effect of protonpump inhibitors (PPI) on Meniere’s disease (MD). A pre-liminary step was made by retrospectively analysing thenumber of menieric crises in a group of patients sufferingfrom MD and using PPI for other reasons as compared to agroup of menieric subjects who had never used PPI.METHODS: Between January 2001 and December2006, 42 patients affected by MD were examined in thetertiary referral centre at the University Hospital ofBologna, Italy and in the private office of an ENTspecialist in Cassino, Italy. Within the study group, 18patients had used PPI for various reasons for at least 12consecutive months, whilst 24 patients had never beenprescribed them.We recorded the number of menieric crises reported inthe observation period. The mean follow-up period was21.9 months. Statistical analysis was performed by meansof the x 2 test and significance was defined when p<0.05.RESULTS: Most of MD patients (72%) using PPIsuffered less than one episode of menieric crisis/year. Onthe other hand patients who had never used a PPI,experienced considerably more episodes only 16.7%having less than one crisis per year. This difference wasstatistically significant (p<0, 001).CONCLUSIONS: Even taking the limitations of thisretrospective study into account the reported datanevertheless strongly suggest a possible role for protonpumps in the pathogenesis of MD. This could lead tointeresting developments and contribute to a betterdefinition of MD and the therapeutic possibilities.