Research in Vestibular Science

Original Article

The clinical significance of arterial stiffness in the differential diagnosis of vertigo: Bang-Hoon Cho, Jae-Myung Kim, Young-In Kim, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2024;23(1):16-23. Published online March 15, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2024.003

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Objectives
Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a known indicator of arterial stiffness reflecting vascular damage. However, there are few reports of the relationship between PWV and dizziness/vertigo of a vascular origin. We investigated whether the PWV value could be useful as an ancillary measurement for identifying the etiology of dizziness/vertigo.
Methods
We enrolled dizzy patients from March 2016 to December 2018. The patients with posterior circulation stroke presenting with dizziness/vertigo were categorized as having central vertigo. The patients with vertigo due to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Ménière disease, or acute unilateral vestibulopathy were categorized as having peripheral vertigo. The PWV value, ankle-brachial index (ABI), and traditional vascular risk factors were collected.
Results
We consecutively enrolled a total of 93 participants. The PWV values were higher in the central vertigo group (p<0.001), but ABI did not differ between the groups. Among the vascular risk factors, the number of patients with diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and male patients was significantly higher in the central vertigo group. The brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) values were higher in the central vertigo group, even after adjusting for confounding factors (p<0.01). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the sensitivity was 74% and specificity was 81% when the mean baPWV value was 14.78 m/sec.
Conclusions
Increased baPWV values were observed in patients with dizziness/vertigo due to stroke. Measurement of the baPWV value could be an ancillary test for evaluating the cause of dizziness/vertigo, even though more convincing evidence is still required.

Case Reports

Acute Thiamine Deficiency Detected by Video Head Impulse Test in a Patient with Gastric Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT) Lymphoma: Je-Woo Park, Jae-Myung Kim, Ji-Min Kim, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2023;22(2):52-56. Published online June 15, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2023.22.2.52

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Abstract PDF: Thiamine deficiency may cause Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) characterized by ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, and confusion. Aside from the triad of cardinal symptoms, selective or predominant impairments of bilateral horizontal canals may be observed in WE. Here, we report a patient with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-lymphoma complicated by an early stage of WE due to thiamine deficiency manifesting bilateral vestibular dysfunctions. A 78-year-old man recently diagnosed gastric MALT-lymphoma presented with dizziness and disequilibrium for several weeks. He showed mild imbalance while tandem walking and abnormal catch-up saccades bilaterally during bedside head impulse test (HIT). Video HIT revealed decreased vestibulo-ocular reflex gains with catch-up saccades for the bilateral horizontal and several vertical canals. Diagnostic work-up demonstrated decreased serum thiamine and lesions in the mammillary body and periaqueductal gray matter on brain magnetic resonance images. Furthermore, with thiamine replacement, his clinical symptoms were markedly improved. Also, vestibular symptoms and signs may be an early manifestation of WE, and video HIT could be a useful diagnostic tool to aid early detections.

Acute Vestibular Syndrome Preceded by Otologic Symptoms in Sarcoidosis: Hyeon-Joong Park, Jae-Myung Kim, Han-Sol Choi, Taebum Lee, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2021;20(2):69-73. Published online June 14, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2021.20.2.69

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Sarcoidosis is a rare, multisystem granulomatous disease. Neurological complications occur in about 5% of patients and vestibulocochlear involvement is even rarer. A 27-year-old woman presented with acute spontaneous vertigo for 5 days. She was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis 4 months ago, but specific treatments have not yet started. She had preceding otologic symptoms including bilateral tinnitus and ear fullness in the right for 3 months without hearing loss. Initial bedside examinations revealed spontaneous right-beating nystagmus and abnormal catch-up saccades in the left during head impulse tests (HIT). After 2 weeks, video-oculography documented the direction of spontaneous nystagmus was changed into left-beating. Caloric test showed canal paresis in the left, and video HIT showed subtle covert saccades. After starting oral prednisolone, her symptoms improved rapidly. In our case, acute vestibular syndrome and otologic symptoms might be associated with sarcoidosis when considering clinical course and treatment response. Sarcoidosis may be considered as a cause in cases with audiovestibulopathy of unknown etiology.

Original Article

Clinical Characteristics of Recurrent Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Retrospective Cohort Study: Jae-Myung Kim, Bang-Hoon Cho, Jong-Kyung Lee, Myeong-Kyu Kim, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2021;20(2):45-50. Published online June 14, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2021.20.2.45

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Objectives
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a potentially recurrent disease even after successful canalith repositioning maneuvers. However, the exact recurrence rate or any clinical factors affecting the recurrence of BPPV still need to be elucidated.
Methods
We recruited patients diagnosed as BPPV in a tertiary hospital for 3 years. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information of the patients including baseline demographics, comorbidities and predisposing factors through the electronic medical records. We performed a telephone survey or direct interview 3 to 6 years later from the initial diagnosis of BPPV was made. To determine the factors associated with the recurrence, we divided study population into two subgroups; ‘recurrence group’ vs. ‘recurrence-free group.’ Then, intergroup comparative analyses were performed.
Results
Among 397 patients who were originally eligible for the study, we performed a telephone survey or direct interview in 289 patients (72.8%) to determine the recurrence of BPPV. The overall recurrence rate was 29.4% (85 of 289). Baseline demographics except female gender (p=0.014) were not different between subgroups. Neither clinical characteristics nor vascular comorbidities were associated with the recurrence. However, patients with low bone mineral density (BMD; T-score below ‒1, osteopenia/osteoporosis) showed significantly higher recurrence than those with normal BMD (40.6% vs. 0%, p=0.009).
Conclusions
Female gender and low BMD (T-score below ‒1) were associated with the recurrence of BPPV in this study. Further researches in various clinical settings with larger sample size are warranted to identify the factors affecting the relapse of BPPV.

Case Reports

Unilateral Vestibular Neuritis after Snakebite: Is There a Causal Relationship?: Jae-Myung Kim, Hyeon-Joong Park, Shina Kim, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2020;19(4):144-148. Published online December 15, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2020.19.4.144

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Abstract PDF: Vast majority of triggering factors preceding vestibular neuritis (VN) are unknown, although many cases are associated with viral infection. A 55-year-old woman was bitten by a viper on her right hand, and she was treated with antivenom at the primary clinic. Three days later, acute persistent vertigo was developed. Neuro-otologic examinations revealed spontaneous left-beating nystagmus and abnormal head impulse test in the right side. Taken together with negative result of brain magnetic resonance imaging, she was diagnosed with a right VN. Various neurological complications such as paralysis, optic neuritis, and stroke can occur after snakebite envenoming. In this case, given the time interval between snakebite and development of dizziness, snakebite envenoming might be a possible predisposing factor of VN as a proinflammatory condition rather than a direct cause of VN. Furthermore, the VN of this case was probably caused by late adverse reactions after antivenom administration. Since about 10% of the snake-bitten patients have complained dizziness, detailed neuro-otologic evaluations may lead to a proper understanding of pathomechanism and a correct diagnosis.

Delayed Audio-Vestibular Symptoms in Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension: Han-Sol Choi, Jae-Myung Kim, Hong Chan Kim, Hyong-Ho Cho, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2020;19(1):29-33. Published online March 15, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2020.19.1.29

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Abstract PDF: Intracranial hypotension (IH) is a neurological disorder characterized by orthostatic headache due to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume depletion. IH usually results from CSF leak caused by either spontaneous or traumatic dural injury and may also present nausea, neck stiffness, tinnitus or dizziness. We experienced a 52-year-old woman presenting with acute spontaneous vertigo, tinnitus and hearing impairment on both ears with right side predominancy which mimicked Meniere’s disease. Video-oculography revealed spontaneous left-beating nystagmus which was modulated by position change. There was binaural low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in pure tone audiometry. Other neuro-otologic evaluations including caloric test, vestibular evoked myogenic potential, video head impulse tests were unremarkable. Of interest, she had been treated of orthostatic headache due to spontaneous IH 10 days before admission. Taken together the clinical and laboratory findings, audio-vestibular symptoms of the patient were thought to be related with insufficient treatment of IH. After massive hydration and bed rest, her symptoms were markedly improved and SNHL was also disappeared in the follow-up pure tone audiometry. IH should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dizzy patient with tinnitus, hearing impairment even the typical orthostatic headache is not accompanied.

Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Presented with Upbeat Nystagmus and Intractable Vomiting: Hyunsoo Kim, Jae-Myung Kim, Tai-Seung Nam, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2019;18(2):50-53. Published online June 15, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2019.18.2.50

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Abstract PDF: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory demyelinating autoimmune disease of central nervous system characterized by relapsing attacks that target the optic nerves and spinal cord, as well as aquaporin-4 (AQP4) enriched periventricular brain regions. The area postrema (AP), located in the dorsal medulla, is the chemosensitive vomiting center and has high AQP-4 expression. The AP syndrome with unexplained hiccups, nausea, and vomiting is one of the core clinical characteristics in the NMOSD and maybe the first presenting symptom. We experienced a 25-year-old woman presented with intractable vomiting, dizziness and oscillopsia. Upbeat nystagmus detected on the bedside examination led to comprehensive neurological workups including magnetic resonance imaging, and she was diagnosed as the AP syndrome. Ten months later, she experienced a recurrence as a longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and the diagnosis was finally compatible with NMOSD without AQP4-IgG. NMOSD, especially the AP syndrome, should be considered in any dizzy patient with intractable vomiting, and detailed neuro-otologic and neuro-ophthalmologic examinations are warranted for the correct diagnosis.

Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder presented with Upbeat Nystagmus and Intractable Vomiting: Hyunsoo Kim, Jae-Myung Kim, Tai-Seung Nam, Seung-Han Lee; Received May 20, 2019 Accepted June 10, 2019 Published online June 10, 2019; [Accepted]

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Abstract: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder(NMOSD) is an inflammatory demyelinating autoimmune disease of CNS characterized by relapsing attacks that target the optic nerves and spinal cord, as well as aquaporin-4(AQP4) enriched periventricular brain regions. The area postrema(AP), located in the dorsal medulla, is the chemosensitive vomiting center and has high AQP-4 expression. The AP syndrome with unexplained hiccups, nausea, and vomiting is one of the core clinical characteristics in the NMOSD and maybe the first presenting symptom. We experienced a 25-year-old woman presented with intractable vomiting, dizziness and oscillopsia. Upbeat nystagmus detected on the bedside examination led to comprehensive neurological workups including MRI, and she was diagnosed as the AP syndrome. Ten months later, she experienced a recurrence as a longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis and the diagnosis was finally compatible with NMOSD without AQP4-IgG. NMOSD, especially the AP syndrome, should be considered in any dizzy patient with intractable vomiting, and detailed neuro-otologic and neuro-ophthalmologic examinations are warranted for the correct diagnosis.

Case Report

Rapidly Progressive Ophthalmoplegia and Brainstem-Cerebellar Dysfunction in Rhombencephalitis Caused by Listeria monocytogenes: Sung-Sik Kim, Jong-Hun Kim, Jin-Heui Lee, Seung-Han Lee; Res Vestib Sci. 2017;16(1):29-33. Published online March 15, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2017.16.1.29

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Abstract PDF: Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a rare, but important bacterial pathogen causing central nervous system infection in the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised patients. A 60-year-old man with diabetes presented with headache, fever and rapidly progressive ophthalmoplegia. Based on serological and MRI studies, he was diagnosed with rhombencephalitis due to L. monocytogenes. The patient recovered without complications with urgent initiation of empirical antibiotics and the pathogen-specific antibiotic treatment. L. monocytogenes should be considered as a cause of rhombencephalitis presenting as external ophthalmoplegia.

Rapidly progressive ophthalmoplegia and brainstem-cerebellar dysfunction in rhombencephalitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes: Sung Sik Kim, Jong-Hun Kim, Jin-Heui Lee, Seung-Han Lee; Received February 7, 2017 Accepted February 28, 2017 Published online February 28, 2017; [Accepted]

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Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is a rare, but important bacterial pathogen causing central nervous system infection in the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised patients. A 60-year-old man with diabetes presented with headache, fever and rapidly progressive ophthalmoplegia. Based on serological and MRI studies, he was diagnosed with rhombencephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes. The patient recovered without complications with urgent initiation of empirical antibiotics and the pathogen-specific antibiotic treatment. Listeria monocytogenes should be considered as a cause of rhombencephalitis presenting as external ophthalmoplegia.

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