Low-Tone Perceptive Hearing Loss

In the ENT Department of the Leiden University Hospital low-tone perceptive hearing loss was found in 47 patients with Meniere's disease and 21 patients without Meniere's disease during a period of 5 years. the latter group included 6 patients who developed this hearing loss after stapedectomy and 3 patients in whom the hearing loss was caused by a round-window perilymph leak. the hypothesis that chronic loss of perilymph via the oval or round window produces endolymphatic hydrops is put forward and discussed.