Autoimmune Thyroid Dysfunction and Meniere's Disease

Autoimmune thyroid dysfunction and Meniere's disease.

Prospective Case-Control study.

This study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, S.M.H.S Hospital, an associated hospital of Government Medical College Srinagar, for a period of 22 months w.e.f January 2011 to October 2012. In this study, we evaluated the association between thyroid autoimmunity and Meniere's disease. 35 Meniere's disease patients were enrolled in this study and two groups as controls: group A, 20 subjects suffering from acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy of non-Meniere origin; and group B, 30 healthy volunteers. All subjects were submitted to assessment of cochlear-vestibular function and analysis of standard thyroid function test, anti-TSH receptor antibody (TR-Ab), anti-thyroperoxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (Tg-Ab).

The prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in Meniere's disease patients was higher (P <0·01) when compared to control groups.

Our data demonstrate a significant association between Meniere's disease and thyroid autoimmunity, which suggest that an autoimmune factor may be involved in the aetiopathogenesis of this disease.