Background: A 12-month follow-up study showed that middle ear pressure treatment with a transtympanic membrane massage (TMM) device had a similar effect to a Meniett device.
Objectives: The effects of pressure treatment with a TMM device were retrospectively compared to the effects of treatment with a Meniett device in patients with Meniere's disease (MD) and delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) who were followed for a minimum of 24 months.
Materials and methods: Twenty-seven patients were treated with the TMM device and 14 patients were treated with a Meniett device. The insertion of a transtympanic ventilation tube was necessary for the Meniett device but not for the TMM device.
Results: In patients treated with the TMM and Meniett devices, the frequency of vertigo significantly improved at 19-24 months after treatment. The distribution of vertigo at 19-24 months after treatment did not differ between the patients treated with the two types of devices. Pressure treatment for 8 months or more was suitable to achieve remission.
Conclusions and significance: Middle ear pressure treatment for 8 months or more with a TMM or Meniett device was equally effective and provided minimally invasive treatment options for intractable MD and DEH.
Keywords: Meniere’s disease; Meniett device; delayed endolymphatic hydrops; intractable vertigo; tympanic membrane massage device.