Vestibular schwannoma mimicking Ménière's disease.

We retrieved information on 128 patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) and 243 patients with Ménière's disease (MD) from the database of the otoneurologic expert system (ONE). The patients filled in a questionnaire concerning their symptoms, earlier diseases, accidents and tobacco and alcohol use. This information was then integrated with results of audiometric, otoneurologic and imaging studies. Forty-nine (38%) of the VS patients had the full triad of vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus. The vertigo mimicked that in MD in 18 (14%) patients. The mean age of these patients was 48 years. There were 7 men and 11 women. The tumour was small (< 2 cm) in eight patients and medium-sized (2-4 cm) in seven patients. The mean attack duration in these 18 patients ranged from 5 min to 4 h. The attacks most commonly (69%) occurred only once or twice a year. Their intensity was moderate. Half of the patients had spontaneous nystagmus. Caloric asymmetry > 25% was detected in 61% of the patients. Tinnitus in these patients was mostly (49%) mild. Intense tinnitus was present only in 12% of patients. Headache was present in 25% of these patients.