Current challenges in the diagnosis and classification of Meniere’s disease include unclear disease heterogeneity, overreliance on endolymphatic hydrops as a core marker, and inconsistent correlations between imaging and functional tests, which limit accurate clinical evaluation. Conventional diagnostic strategies fail to identify patients with typical symptoms but no radiological hydrops, creating an urgent need for an integrated approach.
Jun Yang and Qing Zhang’s team published a study in ENT Discovery focusing on clinical features of unilateral Meniere’s disease with and without endolymphatic hydrops. They analyzed 95 patients using gadolinium-enhanced MRI and audiovestibular tests. Results showed significant differences in hearing and VEMP parameters, and hydrops severity correlated with disease duration and functional impairment.

This work advances otology research by verifying the heterogeneity of Meniere’s disease. It supports a comprehensive diagnostic model combining symptoms, functional tests and MRI, and provides a foundation for future subtype classification and personalized clinical management. The work entitled “Clinical Characteristics of Unilateral Meniere's Disease Patients without Endolymphatic Hydrops as Revealed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging” was published on ENT Discovery (published on Apr. 01, 2026).
DOI:10.15302/ENTD.2026.030007