Meniere's disease in infants.

We described 3 patients who, from early infancy, evidenced attacks of vomiting associated with fluctuating hearing loss, culminating in bilateral severe sensorineural hearing loss. The patients suffered from Meniere's disease, according to all clinical yardsticks. The patients described by us were at first diagnosed and treated for gastroenteritis or meningitis. Meniere's disease was not suspected. We want to point out that Meniere's disease, though usually presenting itself at middle age, may well start in childhood as well as in infancy, and should be suspected whenever vomiting, without diarrhea, is associated with some hearing loss at any age--no matter how young the patient is. It is also possible that some sensorineural hearing losses in late childhood or adulthood are in effect the end result of burnt-out Meniere's disease--as our second case presented himself.