Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with sudden deafness and vertigo

XING Yingzi; PEI Jianjun; ZHAO Shu; LI Shujing; LIU Yajing; LI Liqun; HOU Qingjun; WANG Donghai; LU Hong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1672-2922.2017.02.006

Abstract：Objective To report response rates and characteristics of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in pa-tients with sudden deafness and vertigo and discuss the diagnostic and prognostic values of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials. Methods Fifty cases of unilateral sudden deafness with vertigo were included in the study group, while 60 normal subjects and 50 cases of unilateral sudden deafness without vertigo were included as the control. oVEMPs and cVEMPs were compared between patients and normal subjects. Results The rate of positive oVEMPs was 24%in the af-fected ear and 42%in the contralateral ear in patients with sudden deafness and vertigo, 48%in the affected ear in pa-tients with sudden deafness but no vertigo, and 100%in normal subjects;while the rate of positive cVEMPs was 56%in the affected ear and 74%in the contralateral ear in patients with sudden deafness and vertigo, 64%in the affected ear in patients with sudden deafness and no vertigo, and 100%in normal subjects. There were no significant differences be-tween the affected and contralateral ears (P>0.05). Compared to normal subjects, oVEMPs and cVEMPs in both the af-fected and contralateral ears were significantly reduced (P<0.05). The rate of positive oVEMPs in the affected ear was significantly lower in patients with sudden deafness and vertigo than in those patients with sudden deafness but no verti-go (P<0.05). oVEMP parameters (N1 latency, P1 latency, amplitudes) and asymmetry ratio (AR) were not significantly different among the groups (P>0.05). cVEMP N1-P1 amplitudes in the affected ear in patients with both sudden deaf-ness and vertigo were significantly lower than in patients with sudden deafness but no vertigo and normal subjects (P<0.05). The asymmetry ratio (AR) was also different when compared between patients with sudden deafness and vertigo and the normal subjects (P<0.05). oVEMPs, cVEMPs, patterns of audiogram and the degree of hearing loss showed no obvious correlations (P>0.05). However, oVEMPs and cVEMPs appeared to be correlated with therapeutic effects (P<0.05). Conclusions The utricle (superior vestibular nerve) and saccule (inferior vestibular nerves) on both sides may be dysfunctional in patients suffering from sudden deafness with vertigo. The dysfunction and its prognosis may be moni-tored objectively by VEMP examinations.