Duration of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as a predictor for therapy

To evaluate the prognostic significance of the duration of disease in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

We studied all patients with idiopathic BPPV of the posterior semicircular canal who were treated during 3 consecutive years, divided into 2 groups: those with recent disease onset (within 4 weeks) and those with more remote disease onset. Outcome of treatment by repositioning maneuver and rate of recurrence were compared.

110 patients had BPPV of recent onset and 121 of more remote onset (mean ages 51.3 and 58.2, respectively). Treatment outcomes were similar in both groups, but the rate of recurrence was higher in patients with BPPV of longer duration (21.5% versus 10%).

Long duration of the disease does not affect the treatment outcome in patients with idiopathic BPPV, but is correlated with increased rate of recurrence. Older age of these patients is probably a contributing factor for recurrence.