Bilateral vestibulopathy and disabling vertigo: A CARE case series

The term bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) was recently defined by the Bárány Society. Loss of otolith function was not included in their criteria. Although spontaneous progression to complete bilateral impairment of vestibular function is expected, it is unlikely that patients with advanced BV will continue to present episodes of intense vertigo. Here, following CARE case report guidelines, we report the case of patients meeting the criteria for BV and still disabled by vertigo.

Three patients evaluated in our department meeting the Bárány criteria for definite BV but still complaining of disabling rotatory vertigo were included. All underwent clinical and instrumental vestibular examination. The observations are reported.

In case of BV, the conservation of a stable otolithic reference frame could allow patients to optimize postural strategy. It would be useful to revisit a classification of BV by stages, by introducing an evaluation of otolithic function and postural control for possible subsequent vestibular implantation.