AMC research team led by Park Hong-ju of the Department of Otolaryngology suggests the guidelines for otolithiasis treatment
“Lying in the supine position and simply turning the head is most effective.”
Otolithiasis is one of the most common causes of an ear problem that causes vertigo as degenerative tissue debris breaks loose from the inner ear. An analysis was undertaken to find the most effective treatment method for otolithiasis. Otolithiasis treatment is largely divided into the Epley maneuver that works by ▲turning the head to set an angle for the movement of a lesion while lying in the supine position and tilting the head back and the Sememt maneuver that works by ▲sitting right and turning the head to the side where no lesion exists, then lying the upper body on the side and quickly turning the upper body to the opposite side. The treatment method was determined between the two based on a surgeon’s preference. Professor Park Hong-ju of the Department of Otolaryngology revealed that Epley was more effective in the treatment of dizziness than Sememt as a result of comparing the treatment results by canalith repositioning maneuvers. The research team performed Epley on 36 patients and Sememt on 32 patients, and the treatment results were compared according to the number and the time elapsed of the maneuvers. ▲After the first treatment, Epley improved dizziness in 63.9% of patients while Sememt in 34.4%. ▲After the second treatment, Epley was effective in 83.3% of patients while Sememt in 56.3%. ▲One day after treatment, Epley and Sememt improved the condition of 91.7% and 56.3% of patients. ▲A week after treatment, Epley and Sememt enhanced the condition of 94.4% and 68.8% of patients. It showed that Epley provided far more benefits to patients not only right after the procedure but also after one day and a week of treatment. Professor Park said, “Since there was no data that clearly show the comparison result of canalith repositioning maneuvers that move the otolith to a less sensitive part of the inner ear, the selection of a maneuver was up to a surgeon’s discretion. So we hope that this study helps the right selection of procedure.”
This paper developed by the participation of 11 local institutions including AMC was published in the latest online issue of the 「Audiology & Neurotology」.