Thermography in Patients with Meniere's Disease

Abstract

We measured the skin temperature of the cheeks of patients with Meniere's disease by thermography before and after frontal cooling by ice. Before cooling it did not differ from that of healthy controls, but cooling caused significant asymmetry in the patients.
Moreover, in patients with Meniere's disease, the asymmetry of cheek skin temperature after frontal cooling was greater during activity than at rest.
Skin temperature is controlled mainly by the sympathetic nervous system. Therefore, these findings suggest that asymmetry of sympathetic nerve function is a possible cause of attacks of Meniere's disease.