External aperture of the vestibular aqueduct in Meniere's disease.

Objective: To study the relationship of the length of the external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct and the ratio of the summating potential and action potential (SP:AP) in patients with Meniere's disease.

Study design: Retrospective case study.

Setting: Neurotology referral center.

Patients: Fifty-four patients with Meniere's disease and nine control subjects without Meniere's disease.

Intervention: The external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct was measured from a three-dimensional surface reconstruction computed tomography scan. Transtympanic electrocochleography was performed on patients with Meniere's disease.

Main outcome measure: The length of the external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct in the Meniere's disease ears was related to the SP:AP ratio in the Meniere's disease ears and compared with controls.

Results: The average length of the external aperture was 3.79 +/- 2.92 mm in Meniere's disease ears and 5.35 +/- 1.73 mm in the control ears (p < 0.05). An enlarged SP:AP ratio was found in 95% of ears in the group with nonvisible external apertures of the vestibular aqueduct, 91% of ears in the <5 mm group, 58% of ears in the 5-7 mm group, and 29% of ears in the >7 mm group (chi-square = 24.814; p = 0.000).

Conclusions: The length of the external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct in patients with Meniere's disease is significantly shorter than in those without Meniere's disease. Endolymphatic hydrops, evidenced by an enlarged SP:AP ratio, was related to the length of the external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct. The shorter the external aperture, the more often the SP:AP ratio was enlarged. A short or nonvisible external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct is a predisposing factor to the development of Meniere's disease.