Report of a Nationwide Survey on Ménière's Disease

A nationwide survey on definite cases of Meniere's disease was made during the period from June 20 to June 25, 1977. A questionnaire covering the number of patients experiencing difficulties in routine life was submitted to 435 Departments of Otolaryngology, Internal Medicine and Neurology of general hospitals including University Hospitals in Japan. Data obtained from 214 such departments were evaluated satistically.(1) The proportion of definite cases of Meniere's disease in the total number of patients treated during the same period was an average of 0.88% for new patients, 0.73% for outpatients and 0.74% for inpatients.(2) The number of patients severely disabled in their daily lives was an average of 54.7% of definite cases of Meniere's disease, and these cases were classified into five types:A type: repeated attacks of vertigomale 129/320 (40.3%) female 100/342 (29.2%)B type: persistent dizziness or unsteadiness remaining after the vertiginous attacksmale 35/320 (10.9%) female 51/342 (14.9%)C type: unilateral profound deafnessmale 31/320 (9.6%) female 22/342 (6.43%)D type: bilateral profound deafnessmale 8/320 (2.50%) female 9/342 (2.63%)E type: miscellaneousmale 18/320 (5.63%) female 4/342 (1.17%)