Down-beat nystagmus in peripheral vestibulopathy may rarely occur in selective involvement of inferior division. Diagnosis of isolated inferior vestibular neuritis is based on torsional down-beating spontaneous nystagmus, abnormal head-impulse test for the posterior semicircular canal, and abnormal cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) with normal bithermal caloric tests and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs). Herein we report a 50-year-old male patient with spontaneous down-beat nystagmus who demonstrated vestibular dysfunction involving only the posterior semicircular canal. The patient showed normal results in the bithermal caloric test, the oVEMPs and cVEMPs test. Video head impulse test showed decreased gain and corrective saccades only in the posterior semicircular canal. This case is significant in showing that peripheral dizziness with spontaneous down-beating nystagmus can occur as a result of an abnormality involving only a single semicircular canal.
It is known that about 30% of patients with sudden hearing loss present with vertigo or dizziness. In clinical practice, this is called sudden hearing loss with vertigo (SHLV) although definite diagnostic criteria have not been established. Dizziness in SHLV is known to be caused by the dysfunction of the vestibular end-organs as well as the superior vestibular nerve or both vestibular nerve divisions. Lesions of the inferior vestibular nerve or a single semicircular canal have also been reported in these patients. Herein we report a 71-year-old male patient with SHLV who demonstrated vestibular dysfunction involving only the posterior semicircular canal. The patient showed normal results in the bithermal caloric test and the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials test as well as positional test. Video head impulse test showed decreased gain only in the posterior semicircular canal. This case is significant in showing that dizziness in SHLV patients can occur by an abnormality involving only a single semicircular canal.
Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical manifestations and significance of pseudo-spontaneous nystagmus (PSN) and head-shaking nystagmus (HSN) in horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (HC-BPPV). Methods: Two hundred fifty-two patients diagnosed as HC-BPPV were reviewed retrospectively. After excluding 55 patients with ipsilateral vestibular diseases, multiple canal BPPV, or those who were lost to follow-up, we analyzed the direction of PSN and HSN in patients with HC-BPPV. We also compared the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome between PSN-positive and PSN-negative groups. Results: Our study included 197 patients composed of 80 patients with geotropic HC-BPPV and 117 patients with apogeotropic HC-BPPV. PSN was observed in 13.7% patients and HSN was observed in 45.2%. The incidence of HSN was higher in apogeotropic HC-BPPV, while the proportion of PSN was not statistically significant between the two subtypes. There was no directional preponderance in geotropic HC-BPPV, while ipsilesional PSN and contralesional HSN showed higher incidence in apogeotropic HC-BPPV. The dizziness handicap inventory score in the PSN-positive group was higher than that in the PSN-negative group (p<0.001), and the duration of symptom onset in the PSN-positive group was shorter than that in the PSN-negative group (p=0.047). However, there was no significant difference in the treatment outcome between the two groups. Conclusions: The incidence of HSN was higher than that of PSN in patients with apogeotropic HC-BPPV. Patients with HC-BPPV showing PSN demonstrated more severe initial symptoms and visited the hospital in a shorter period of time after the onset of symptoms.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Diagnostic Criteria and Updated Practice Guideline in Diagnosis Dae Bo Shim Research in Vestibular Science.2020; 19(4): 111. CrossRef
It is known that about 30% of patients with sudden hearing loss present with vertigo or dizziness. In clinical practice, this is called sudden hearing loss with vertigo (SHLV) although definite diagnostic criteria have not been established. Dizziness in SHLV is known to be caused by the dysfunction of the vestibular end-organs as well as the superior vestibular nerve or both vestibular nerve divisions. Lesions of the inferior vestibular nerve or a single semicircular canal have also been reported in these patients. Herein we report a 71-year-old male patient with SHLV who demonstrated vestibular dysfunction involving only the posterior semicircular canal. The patient showed normal results in the bithermal caloric test and the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials test as well as positional test. Video head impulse test showed decreased gain only in the posterior semicircular canal. This case is significant in showing that dizziness in SHLV patients can occur by an abnormality involving only a single semicircular canal.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical manifestations and significance of pseudo-spontaneous nystagmus (PSN) and head-shaking nystagmus (HSN) in horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (HC-BPPV).
Methods Two hundred fifty-two patients diagnosed as HC-BPPV were reviewed retrospectively. After excluding 55 patients with ipsilateral vestibular diseases, multiple canal BPPV, or those who were lost to follow-up, we analyzed the direction of PSN and HSN in patients with HC-BPPV. We also compared the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome between PSN-positive and PSN-negative groups.
Results Our study included 197 patients composed of 80 patients with geotropic HC-BPPV and 117 patients with apogeotropic HC-BPPV. PSN was observed in 13.7% patients and HSN was observed in 45.2%. The incidence of HSN was higher in apogeotropic HC-BPPV, while the proportion of PSN was not statistically significant between the two subtypes. There was no directional preponderance in geotropic HC-BPPV, while ipsilesional PSN and contralesional HSN showed higher incidence in apogeotropic HC-BPPV. The dizziness handicap inventory score in the PSN-positive group was higher than that in the PSN-negative group (p<0.001), and the duration of symptom onset in the PSN-positive group was shorter than that in the PSN-negative group (p=0.047). However, there was no significant difference in the treatment outcome between the two groups.
Conclusion The incidence of HSN was higher than that of PSN in patients with apogeotropic HC- BPPV. Patients with HC-BPPV showing PSN demonstrated more severe initial symptoms and visited the hospital in a shorter period of time after the onset of symptoms.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the diverse patterns of nystagmus and analyze their clinical significance in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) of the anterior semicircular canal.
Methods Fifty-three patients diagnosed with anterior canal BPPV (AC-BPPV) were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were classified according to the presence or absence of the torsional component of the nystagmus and the direction of Dix-Hallpike test which induced the nystagmus. We compared the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes among the different patient groups.
Results There were 11 patients with unilateral down beat (DB) nystagmus, 11 patients with bilateral DB nystagmus, 14 patients with ipsilateral torsional down beat (TDB) nystagmus, 7 patients with contralateral TDB nystagmus, and 7 patients with bilateral TDB nystagmus. There were no differences between the unilateral and the bilateral DB groups in terms of the duration of nystagmus or vertigo and the number of treatment sessions. In addition, the ipsilateral TDB group showed no significant clinical difference compared to the contralateral or bilateral TDB group.
Conclusion Various nystagmus patterns can be seen in AC-BPPV. There was no statistically significant difference in the clinical characteristics according to the different nystagmus patterns. This information may be helpful for clinicians in counseling and managing the patients with AC-BPPV.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: Diagnostic Criteria and Updated Practice Guideline in Diagnosis Dae Bo Shim Research in Vestibular Science.2020; 19(4): 111. CrossRef
Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of sleep position on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
Methods Four hundred sixty patients diagnosed as posterior or horizontal canal BPPV were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were asked about their preferred sleep positions among the following four choices: supine, right or left lateral, or no predominant side via questionnaire at initial visit and after 1month. Patients were classified into two groups: affected side group meaning that the patient preferred to sleep ipsilateral to the affected ear and other position group including all positions other than lying lateral to the affected side after treatment. We analyzed the change in the sleep pattern after treatment and compared the recurrence rate between the two groups.
Results Our study included 244 patients with posterior canal BPPV (PC-BPPV) and 216 patients with horizontal canal BPPV (HC-BPPV). Statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between sleep position side and the affected side by BPPV. The number of patients who slept on the affected side by BPPV decreased, while the number of patients who slept on the healthy side increased significantly after treatment. There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate between the two groups.
Conclusion There was significant correlation between the sleep position side and the affected side in PC-BPPV and HC-BPPV. The patient had a tendency to avoid lying lateral to the affected side by BPPV during sleep after treatment, however the change in sleep position did not influence the recurrence rate of BPPV.
Periodic alternating nystagmus (PAN) is a spontaneous horizontal jerky nystagmus that reverses its direction periodically with a quiescent interval. PAN has been reported in acquired and congenital forms. The main lesion site of the acquired form of PAN has been attributed to the caudal brainstem or cerebellum. Herein we report a 63-year-old male patient with Meniere’s disease, who presented PAN during a vertigo attack. The patient demonstrated no abnormality on neurologic evaluation and brain imaging, which is different feature compared to the central or congenital form of PAN. It should be kept in mind that peripheral vestibular disorders such as Meniere’s disease can produce PAN.