"Step by step" treatment of lateral semicircular canal canalolithiasis under videonystagmoscopic examination

Aim of the work was to describe a new physical therapeutic approach for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo determined by canalolithiasis of the lateral semicircular canal. A review is made of the literature, and personal experience is reported. A total of 55 cases were observed, 40 geotropic forms, 15 apogeotropic forms. Liberatory manoeuvres were carried out observing the nystagmus during videonystagmoscopic examination, thus attempting to solve the problem in the first treatment session. Monitoring the patient under videonystagmoscopic examination, progression of the otolithic mass towards the non-ampullary segment is documented by the appearance of a nystagmus directed towards the healthy side (and, therefore, inhibitory, due to ampullofugal deflection of the ampullary cupula) during the individual steps of the rehabilitation treatment. Of the 40 geotropic forms, 30 were successfully treated with the Vannucchi-Asprella technique, and the other 10 with the Vannucchi-Asprella manoeuvre followed by a Lempert barbecue rotation. Of the 15 apogeotropic forms, 6 were solved with the Vannucchi-Asprella manoeuvre, 2 with the Vannucchi-Asprella technique followed by Lempert, 6 with the inverted Gufoni technique, followed by Lempert, 1 transformed into geotropic with inverted Gufoni plus Lempert and then resolved by means of a Vannucchi-Asprella manoeuvre. In all cases, therapeutic success was achieved in the first session. Treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the lateral semicircular canal does not allow every case to be fully solved at the first attempt with any technique proposed up to now, in particular, for the apogeotropic forms. Being aware of the different techniques, choosing that most appropriate for the patient's "physical" needs, and, above all, verifying under videonystagmoscopic examination the progression in an ampullofugal direction of the otolithic mass during treatment enable excellent therapeutic results to be obtained in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the lateral semicircular canal, by modifying the rehabilitation strategy while it is being carried out. Videonystagmoscopic examination monitoring of the nystagmus during treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of the lateral semicircular canal, is taking the place of the rigid schematism of the manoeuvres proposed, so far, allowing the treatment programme to be adapted to the individual case, thus enabling a solution to be reached in the first rehabilitation session by means of tailored therapy.