Clinical presentation of Menière's disease in children is not as typical as in adults. The triad of vertigo, tinnitus and deafness are not usually elicited, diagnosis often being made after years of follow up and batteries of investigation. A case of Menière's disease in a 3-year-old boy is presented. The diagnosis was only obvious at the age of 8 when the triad of vertigo, deafness and tinnitus were present. His disease progressed despite a trial of intratympanic gentamicin injections and endolymphatic sac decompression. Vestibular nerve section was subsequently performed for his intractable disease. Following the procedure he was asymptomatic and able to attend school.
The common investigations done were pure tone audiometry, electronystagmography, X-ray of the internal auditory meatus, CT-scan of the internal auditory meatus and X-ray of the cervical spine. After the examinations and investigations only 52 patients out of the 107 could be given any diagnosis. The most common diagnosis for the vertigo was Meniere's disease.