New method for diagnosis of Meniere's disease

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K09354
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56050:Otorhinolaryngology-related
• Research Institution: Nara Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Kitano Koichi 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部附属病院, 研究員 (70790129)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 北原 糺 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (30343255) ; 伊藤 妙子 奈良県立医科大学, 医学部附属病院, 診療助教 (60623486)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: メニエール病 / 内リンパ水腫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Meniere's disease is a disease with a recurrent vertigo accompanied by cochlear symptoms such as healing loss and tinnitus. The cause is still unclear; however the endolymphatic hydrops is thought to have the relationship with the onset of the symptoms of Meniere's disease.
While the observation of the endolymphatic hydrops has been considered difficult, MRI using a gadolinium enhancement could visualise the endolymphatic hydrops.
In the present study, we performed this new method (inner ear-enhanced MRI) on the patients with Meniere's disease and healthy volunteers. Then comparing their endolymphatic space, we established criteria useful for diagnosing Meniere's disease.

Free Research Field

めまい

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

メニエール病は難聴や耳鳴りを伴うめまいを繰り返す疾患である。この原因は未だ明らかになってはいないが、内耳に発生する水腫（内リンパ水腫）が症状に関係していると管耐えられている。
本研究では内耳造影MRIを使用して、メニエール病患者と健常成人の内リンパ水腫を描出し比較することで内耳造影MRIを用いたメニエール病診断のための指標を構築しようとしたものである。