THE RESULTS OF numerous investigators1-5 have established that an ultrasonic irradiation applied to the lateral semicircular canal abolishes vertigo attacks in patients suffering from Ménière's disease. The technique however involves a mastoidectomy, takes considerable time, and entails the risk of a total hearing loss and facial paralysis. Most of the disadvantages of the semicircular canal technique may be eliminated by applying the ultrasonic energy directly to the inner ear through the round window. This paper presents the round window ultrasonic technique and describes the results obtained in seven patients treated by this technique.
Semicircular Canal Technique
Krejci6 is usually credited with the first successful treatment of Ménière's disease using ultrasound. He placed the applicator externally over the air-filled bony mastoid and was fortunate to obtain this result as most of the energy is then scattered by the mastoid air cells. To avoid this scattering, Arslan7 developed the