Correlation between arteriosclerotic changes and prognosis in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders

Symptoms such as vertigo and unsteady gait occur in various diseases and are among the relatively common chief complaints. Even at present, the mechanisms underlying these disorders are unclear. We report a significant correlation between a prolonged period of resolution of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and histories of lifestyle-related illnesses. We consider the possibility of correlating between BPPV prognosis and arteriosclerotic changes. Using carotid ultrasonography, we examined maximum intima-media thickness (IMT), maximum common carotid artery IMT, and biochemical examinations in 105 patients with peripheral vertigo. We divided patients with BPPV into groups with and without abnormal thickness of the IMT. The maximum IMT was 1.35 mm in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. The proportion of peripheral vestibular disorder patients with a maximum IMT of > or = 1.1 mm (i.e., thickening) was 58%. The rate at which the feeling of positional vertigo remained at the halfway point in the observation period was significantly higher in the group of patients with an IMT of > or =1.1 mm (p = .0007). Our results indicate that cervical ultrasonography is useful for noninvasive examination of arteriosclerotic changes in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. We saw indications that such patients show progression of arteriosclerotic changes. This study suggested that the arteriosclerotic change was related to prognosis.