Phonophobia and migraine features in patients with definite meniere's disease: Pentad or triad/tetrad?

Epidemiological studies have shown different association between migraine and Meniere's disease (MD). Few studies investigated the frequency of phonophobia in MD. This study aimed to determine the frequency of phonophobia and other features of migraine in definite MD. Patients with definite MD and a group of healthy (non-MD, non-vertiginous) control subjects participated. Demographic data and other clinical features of the two diseases recorded. Data analyzed in SPSS software version 20, by qi square and independent T test and logistic regression model. 69 MD patients (average age: 48.87 ± 12.15 years) and 60 control subjects (average age: 47.58 ± 12.05 years) enrolled. The frequency of migraine headache in MD cases was 16% (45% with aura) compared with 5% in control group (three cases; 2 without and 1 with aura) ( < .001). Family history of migraine was the only determinant of the presence of migraine in MD ( = .001, OR = 15.625, 95%CI: 2.94-88.33). The frequency of phonophobia in MD was very high (88.4%: 54.5% in migraine subgroup and 89.6% in non-migraine cases) and without significant relation to existence of migraine, in contrast to photophobia and osmophobia ( = .064). The frequency of migraine in MD is higher than normal subjects. Phonophobia may be an independent symptom in MD.