"After all these years, I finally figured out what disease I have!" 48-year-old Ms. Liu said excitedly. Ms. Liu is a patient who has been suffering from "vertigo" for more than ten years. For more than ten years, she may experience dizziness anytime and anywhere and dare not open

"After all these years, I finally figured out what disease I have!" 48-year-old Ms. Liu said excitedly.

"I feel dizzy again and again" and I am really powerless to deal with it.

Ms. Liu is a patient who has been suffering from "vertigo" . For more than ten years, she may experience dizziness anytime and anywhere, dare not open her eyes, and is often accompanied by ear tightness , nausea, cold sweats or even vomiting.

"I feel like I am lying in a small boat, violently bumping and spinning on the rough sea. I dare not open my eyes and sink deeper and deeper into the whirlpool. It is a deep feeling of powerlessness, fear and impending death. "Sometimes this feeling lasts for several hours!" Ms. Liu was frightened when she mentioned the attack.

At first Ms. Liu thought it was cervical spondylosis, which could be relieved by resting for a while. However, as the condition continued to progress, Ms. Liu's episodes of vertigo became more and more frequent, and she also experienced ear fullness and hearing loss For this reason, Ms. Liu visited various major hospitals and underwent numerous examinations. Some were diagnosed as cervical spondylosis, some said it was otolithiasis , some said it was vestibular paroxysmal syndrome, and some said it was cervical spondylosis. Meniere's disease . No hospital is sure what the disease is.

Because of dizziness, Ms. Liu dare not drive, do outdoor work, or go out alone. What is even more frightening is that the long-term illness has caused Ms. Liu's anxiety. She sighs and is filled with worries every day. It has seriously affected Ms. Liu's normal health. Work and life.

Recently, when she was going up the stairs, she suddenly felt dizzy, and the world was spinning so hard that she didn't dare to open her eyes, and she didn't even dare to move when she closed her eyes, as if she was in a huge black hole. She slumped in the stairwell with her eyes closed, unable to hold back her tears. It was not until her family came out to look for her that they helped her back. She heard someone said that the North Campus of Xiangyang Central Hospital could treat vertigo and was quite famous. She was eager to seek treatment and quickly came to the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the North Campus of Xiangyang Central Hospital.

Intratympanic injection of gadolinium contrast imaging "defeats the enemy with one move"

Shen Ying, deputy director of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the North Campus of Xiangyang Central HospitalAfter listening to Ms. Liu's account, she prescribed a magnetic resonance examination. Ms. Liu I waved my hands when I heard it. I have had magnetic resonance imaging done several times, but nothing was found.

Shen Ying explained patiently: "This magnetic resonance examination is not a conventional cranial magnetic resonance examination. It is called ' Intratympanic Injection of Inner Ear Gadolinium Contrast Agent Imaging Examination' . The purpose is to know whether you have endolymphatic hydrops. To put it more simply, can help you diagnose whether you have Ménière's disease. ”

After examination, it was indeed found that Ms. Liu had severe endolymphatic hydrops in her left ear. Based on this result, other related diseases were ruled out. Under the premise, Ms. Liu was diagnosed with Meniere's disease. Vestibular inhibitors, glucocorticoids , health education, and psychological counseling were all used together, and soon Ms. Liu's dizziness was significantly relieved.

"Thanks to the Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Department of the North Campus of Xiangyang Central Hospital. After so many years, I finally know what kind of strange disease I have. I no longer have to worry about whether I will faint in the next second." When he was discharged from the hospital, Ms. Liu took Shen Ying's hand and said excitedly.

Not only Ms. Liu, Inner ear gadolinium contrast magnetic resonance imaging technology has helped more than a hundred vertigo patients who are difficult to diagnose to be diagnosed with Meniere's disease. Some of them are troubled by vertigo and cannot live a normal life, and some are worried about the inheritance of "strange disease" They are afraid to have children, and some spend all day thinking about whether they may have some incurable disease.

By using targeted medication to control vertigo, coupled with correct preventive measures, such patients will gradually improve and regain their hope for life.

Meniere's disease, which is difficult to diagnose

In addition to hearing sounds, our ears also have an important function, which is balance. In our ears, cochlea is responsible for hearing, while the vestibule and semicircular canals are responsible for balance. The sum of these three constitutes our inner ear.

The ear is the most delicate structure of the human body, and the inner ear is the most obvious. It is like a maze inside, communicating with each other, so we call it the lost . The labyrinth is divided into the outer bony labyrinth and the inner membranous labyrinth. It is the water flowing in the membranous labyrinth that can complete the transmission of sound waves in the ear, and the balance of subtle position changes.

Meniere's disease is an unexplained inner ear disease with membranous labyrinth hydrops as the main pathological feature Because the accumulation of water leads to damage to balance function and even hearing function , resulting in paroxysmal vertigo and volatility Hearing loss, tinnitus and/or ear fullness .

The incidence rate of this disease is about 17-513/100,000 people. It is second only to otolithiasis among our otogenic vertigo diseases, and the incidence rate ranks second. The average age of onset is about 40-50 years old. Because of its repeated attacks, it is difficult to diagnose. It can easily cause anxiety and depression in patients, placing a heavy burden on families and society.

At present, the clinical diagnosis of Meniere's disease is still an exclusive diagnosis . The diagnosis mainly relies on typical symptoms, audiological examinations, glycerin tests and other tests that indirectly speculate on membranous labyrinth hydrops. There is a lack of objective and clear direct evidence. The diagnosis is Difficulties result in a large number of patients with atypical Meniere's disease being clinically undiagnosed. Many patients have been misdiagnosed, resulting in poor treatment results, seriously affecting their work and life, and wasting a lot of manpower, material and financial resources.

What is Tympanum Intratympanic gadolinium contrast magnetic resonance imaging

In order to provide accurate and fast imaging basis for patients with inner ear lesions such as Meniere's disease that are difficult to diagnose, North Campus of Xiangyang Central Hospital Otolaryngology Head and Neck The Department of Surgery, together with the Department of Neurology and the Department of Radiology, took the lead in carrying out gadolinium-contrast magnetic resonance imaging of the inner ear in municipal hospitals in mainland Hubei Province, bringing good news to patients with inner ear diseases.

According to reports, magnetic resonance inner ear perilymph gadolinium contrast is currently the only imaging examination method recognized to be able to display membranous labyrinth hydrops in vivo. This technology injects gadolinium contrast agent into the middle ear through tympanic membrane puncture. After 24 hours, The contrast agent penetrates into the extracellular lymphatic fluid , thereby visually displaying whether there is hydrops in the membrane labyrinth and the severity of the hydrops.

Expert Profile

Shen Ying

Deputy Chief Physician, Associate Professor, Master Tutor

Deputy Director of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, North Campus, Xiangyang Central Hospital