The Role of Mobile Phone Camera Recordings in the Diagnosis of Meniere’s Disease and Pathophysiological Implications

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to understand if videos of the patients’ nystagmus recorded by themselves during the attacks can help in the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease (MD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients (age range 32–78 years) who had vestibular attacks and hearing complaints admitted to Çukurova University Hospital Otolaryngology Department and a private office between September 2013 and January 2017 were included in this randomized clinical trial study. Two groups with 30 patients each were formed. The first group was asked to send eye-videos recorded during the attack, while the patients in the second group were followed with conventional methods. Twenty-six patients in the first group were able to send satisfactory eye movement videos; four patients were excluded due to repeated recording faults. Twenty-seven patients in the second group could be followed; three patients were lost to follow-up. The number of attacks and time needed to diagnose both groups were compared. RESULTS: The video group could be diagnosed in a shorter period compared to the control group. The diagnosis was made within two attacks (38 days) in the video group and within four attacks (92 days) in the control group. CONCLUSION: This study shows that cell phone camera recordings of nystagmus of the patients are very helpful to diagnose MD. These recordings can also be used as an adjunct to understand the pathophysiology of the disease.