メニエール病発作が多発する日の気象条件

福岡市における5年間の観察から

抄録

Introduction
A survey, by questioning, of dates of occurrence of attack in multitudes of patients with MÉNIÈRE's disease revealed that there were days on which vertiginous attack occurred in none of the patients, while, on the other hand, there also were those days on which 4 to 8 patients developed an attack (Figs. 1 and 4).
The reason for such a concentration of attack on particular days may possibly be explained: (1) as a mere chance phenomenon,(2) by life custom related to holidays or days of the week or (3) by some meteorological factors.
The objective of the present study was to test the validity of these hypotheses.
Material and Methods
From a series of patients with MÉNIÈRE's disease who were seen at the Neuro-otologic Clinic of Hamanomachi Hospital with a vertiginous attack of recent onset or its recurrence, those who could clearly define the date and time of the day of occurrence of attack and who provided objective evidence of attack (i. e. nystagmus) in pertinent tests done immediately after the attack were chosen for the study. In each patient the date of occurrence of each attack was recorded. The study covered a 5-year period from July 1, 1974 to June 30, 1979 (1826 days), during which time a total of 1654 attacks were recorded.
Rejection of the chance phenomenon theory and the day-of-the-week theory
A study of the monthly distribution of attacks that occurred during the 5-year period showed that the attack was of particularly frequent occurrence from January through April while relatively less frequent from May through December. This distinct seasonal variation suggests that the occurrence of the attack is not fortuitous but subject to some factors.
Next, the hypothesis that life custom related to holidays and ordinary days plays a role in the occurrence of attack of MÉNIÈRE's disease was examined for its legitimacy. A study of the distribution of entire attacks in holidays and nonholidays revealed that there was no striking difference between holidays and nonholidays in the frequency of occurrence of attack, indicating that factors relating to holidays and nonholidays have no bearing upon the attack.
Influence of atmospheric phenomena
Another hypothesis that changes in meteorological conditions are concerned with the occurrence of attack of MÉNIÈRE's disease was also tested for its validity.
Those days on which 4 or more patients developed an attack (during a period from July 1974 through June 1978) or 5 or more patients did so (from July 1978 through June 1979)* were arbitrarily taken as days of frequent occurrence of attack (*the condition was set more rigorous because the frequency of attack during this last year was much higher than in the preceding 4 years). There were 33 days of frequent occurrence of attack during the 5-year period studied (Fig. 5).
An investigation of the distribution of atmospheric pressure disclosed that the distribution pattern of atmospheric pressure prevailing on these 33 days was one of the following 4 types: (1) winter monsoon pattern (5 days),(2) migratory high pattern (19 days),(3) pattern of migratory high passing northerly latitude (7 days) and (9) western edge of pacific high (2 days).
In winter the winter monsoon pattern and migratory high pattern were prevalent, while in spring the migratory high pattern and the pattern of migratory high passing northerly latitude were predominant. Most of days of frequent occurrence of attack occurred in these two seasons. In summer, on the other hand, the western edge of pacific high pattern was prevalent and there were a few days of frequent occurrence of attack. There were no days of frequent occurrence of attack in autumn.