Ménière's disease clinical subtypes in a population from the USA

Abstract Objective To ascertain the distribution of Ménière's disease phenotype subgroups in a US-based cohort, based on a recently introduced classification scheme utilising a Spanish and Portuguese cohort. Methods A retrospective, cross-sectional, single-institutional chart review was conducted. The electronic medical records of Ménière's disease patients were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes at a tertiary referral centre and reviewed to extract subgroup-defining features. Patients with definite Ménière's disease as per American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery criteria were categorised into one of five subgroups, for unilateral and bilateral Ménière's disease. Results Eighty-one patients with definite Ménière's disease were identified. Seventy-two cases of unilateral Ménière's disease were observed: 52.8 per cent were type 1, 20.8 per cent were type 2, 4.2 per cent were type 3, 18.1 per cent were type 4, and 4.2 per cent were type 5. This cohort differed significantly in distribution to a comparison Mediterranean cohort ( p < 0.01). Nine cases of bilateral Ménière's disease were observed. Conclusion The distribution of unilateral Ménière's disease subtypes in this US population was different from that observed in a European population.