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Malignant paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Alessandro De Stefano1, Gautham Kulamarva, Francesco Dispenza
1ENT Institute, Department of Surgical, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, G.d'Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara, Italy. dr.adestefano@gmail.com
Auris, Nasus, Larynx
|September 2, 2011
Summary
Intracranial tumors can mimic benign positional vertigo, leading to intractable symptoms. Differentiating this "malignant" form through careful clinical evaluation and imaging is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is common, but some cases are intractable.
- Intracranial tumors can present with symptoms mimicking BPPV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize positional vertigo caused by intracranial tumors, termed "malignant paroxysmal positional vertigo" (MPPV).
- To differentiate MPPV from benign forms of positional vertigo.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of clinical records of 211 patients with positional vertigo over three years.
- Analysis of patients diagnosed with positional vertigo at a tertiary care referral center.
Main Results:
- Seven patients were diagnosed with MPPV due to intracranial tumors (internal auditory canal or cerebellopontine angle masses).
- These tumors mimicked the clinical presentation of BPPV.
Conclusions:
- Clinicians must consider MPPV in cases of positional vertigo with unusual symptom behavior or poor response to treatment.
- Radiological investigation is essential in doubtful cases to distinguish between benign and malignant causes of positional vertigo.
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