SPECT of Brain and Vertigo - A Case Report

Vertigo has been identified as a complaint associated with the symptom of tinnitus; as well as a specific clinical type of tinnitus i.e., vestibular tinnitus. Classically, the clinical diagnosis of Ménière's Disease includes a quadrad of complaints, highlighted by episodic vertigo, ear blockage, a gradual progressive sensorineural hearing loss, and an associated complaint of a "low frequency tinnitus". Diagnostic and etiologic difficulties for Ménière's Disease have resulted in multiple diagnostic entities, e.g., Ménière's Syndrome, Cochlear Ménière's Disease; Vestibular Ménière's Disease, etc. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging of brain is a technique which has been reported to improve the diagnostic accuracy of patients with the symptom of tinnitus; and has now been applied for recurrent persistent vertigo. A case report, diagnosed classically as Ménière's Disease, is presented to demonstrate the increased diagnostic accuracy provided by SPECT of brain for the chief complaint of vertigo. SPECT revealed significant perfusion asymmetries in brain. The medical significance of the SPECT findings and its application for both diagnosis and treatment are presented.