Long-term Follow-up of Menière’s Disease in Children

A retrospective critical analysis of our epidemiological data regarding paediatric patients with Menière’s Disease (MD) at initial diagnosis was conducted, in the light of long-term follow-up and comparison with available data in the literature. A series of 472 children had access to ENT Department of ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy for balance disorders. They underwent history investigation and complete audiological and vestibular assessment. In 4 cases, a MD was diagnosed and they were submitted to careful and long-term follow-up (5-14 years), with periodic clinical testing and telephone survey after recovery. Only one of our 4 patients initially diagnosed as MD has been confirmed as effective MD over years. In the other 3 cases, other pathologies subsequently emerged, which denied the initial diagnosis of MD. In addition, no patients were diagnosed as definitive MD under the age of 13.MD in childhood should be considered extremely rare at first diagnosis (0.2% of cases in our series), and a definitive diagnosis is only possible after years of careful follow up, especially in case of pre-adolescent MD-like symptoms.