[Posttraumatic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: analysis of 23 cases]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Otolaryngology
• Vestibular Disorders

Background:

• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a common vestibular disorder.
• Distinguishing between traumatic BPPV (t-BPPV) and idiopathic BPPV (i-BPPV) is crucial for understanding disease course and treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with traumatic BPPV (t-BPPV) versus idiopathic BPPV (i-BPPV).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 186 patients diagnosed with posterior canal BPPV using the Dix-Hallpike test.
• Treatment administered via the canalith repositioning procedure.
• Comparative analysis of outcomes between t-BPPV and i-BPPV cohorts.

Main Results:

• Twenty-three patients met criteria for t-BPPV; women were more affected by i-BPPV (2.3:1), while t-BPPV affected men and women equally (1:1).
• Complete symptom resolution after one treatment was significantly lower in t-BPPV (34.8%) compared to i-BPPV (85.3%).
• Recurrent BPPV attacks over two years were higher in t-BPPV patients (56.5%) than i-BPPV patients (19.0%).

Conclusions:

• Traumatic BPPV, resulting from diverse and severe traumas, presents a more challenging clinical entity.
• t-BPPV demonstrates reduced treatment success rates and a significantly higher propensity for recurrence compared to i-BPPV.