About this Research Topic

Background

A striking innovation has revolutionized the way we are perceiving disorders of inner ear homeostasis today. Formerly limited by crude and nonspecific clinical diagnostic criteria, we have now the tools to visualize perturbations of the finely balanced regulation of perilymphatic and endolymphatic spaces of the inner ear.

The pioneering work so far achieved has revealed the broad and diverse clinical and functional manifestations of endolymphatic hydrops. It has expanded the notion of Menière’s Disease to the more comprehensive term Hydropic Ear Disease. Furthermore, there is a constant and ongoing development of ever more precise and safer technologies for the visualization of the minute structures of the inner ear. At the same time our capabilities to measure the functions of the 6 different sensory organs located within the inner ear have expanded dramatically in recent years.

In this Research Topic we are bringing these two lines of innovation together in a joint effort to further decipher the structure-function relationships between morphological disturbances of the inner ear homeostasis on the one hand and its manifold potential clinical and functional manifestations on the other hand.

Potential manuscripts include, but are not limited to:
• Definition of Hydropic Ear Disease and Menière’s Disease and evaluation of clinical diagnostic criteria verified by imaging-based confirmation of endolymphatic hydrops
• Imaging of Hydropic Ear Disease, including dynamic changes over time, analysis of etiologic factors and co-existence with diverse pathophysiologic factors and co-morbidities
• Approaches to optimize diagnostic accuracy, including artificial intelligence and machine-based learning, contrast media application delivery, inner ear pharmacokinetic analyses
• Auditory and vestibular function analyses in the setting of endolymphatic hydrops
• Clinical feature analysis, subjective and objective, in the setting of endolymphatic hydrops
• Treatment effects (medical or surgical, function-preserving or ablative) on Hydropic Ear Disease evaluated by endolymphatic hydrops imaging

All types of manuscripts are considered, including original basic science reports, translational research, clinical studies, review articles, and methodology papers.

Keywords: Menière's Disease, Hydropic Ear Disease, endolymphatic hydrops, hearing loss, vertigo.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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