Objective  To Investigating the clinical features of the delayed endolymphatic hydrops(DEH) and to study the possible role of autoimmune inner ear disorders in the pathogenesis of DEH.Methods  Twenty  six cases of DEH patients (19 ipsilateral,7 contralateral) involved in this research,whose clinical manifestations,hearing functions,specific (against inner ear antigens) and nonspecific immunoreaction,and curative effects (including medicine treatment,immunosuppressive agents treatment and vestibular neurotomy) were investigated.Results  The common etiological factors inducing previous sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) consisted of sudden deafness,meningitis,measles,and mastoidectomy etc.The specific immune responses against inner ear antigens were positive in 6 cases.The immunosuppressive agents proved effective in 4 cases.Conclusions  There is a significant difference in the interval primary of SNHL and DEH.Many etiological factors could induce previous SNHL.Autoimmune inner ear disorders maybe play an important role in DEH pathogenesis.The pathological mechanism may be a kind of sympathetic labyrinthitis because there existed a specifically positive immune reaction and an effective treatment with immunosuppressive agents in these patients.