[Diagnosis and rehabilitation of anterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo]

To develop a method for predicting otolithiasis recurrence within 1 year after benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) episode based on analysis of the anamnesis and standardized characteristics of the clinical symptoms and treatment of the disease.

The study included 640 patients with BPPV, who were divided into two groups: the 1st group (n=458) - patients with no recurrence in 1 year of follow-up; the 2nd group (n=148) - patients with recurrence in the first year after treatment of BPPV episode. In order to identify risk factors, the initial clinical and anamnestic features associated with BPPV (gender, age, comorbidities), clinical symptoms and rehabilitation parameters of the last episode of the disease were analyzed. Diagnostic indices were calculated for the sets of selected features that reliably distinguished both groups of patients with absent/present BPPV recurrence within one year, and based on these, an algorithm was created using a Bayesian sequential diagnostic procedure to predict BPPV recurrence within 1 year of an identified and treated BPPV episode.

In the 2nd group there was the significant prevalence of elderly (older 65 years) and female patients. In these patients higher association with hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, neurological diseases, osteoporosis and lung diseases was observed. Diagnosis and treatment of recurrent patients in the 2nd group correlates with detection of horizontal nystagmus in Dix-Hallpike test in case of horizontal canal BPPV, requirement for several maneuvers per appointment, canal switch during reposition, resistant course of the disease, the need for additional self-treatment for patients between appointments, and the more frequent development of residual vertigo. Prognostic algorithm for predicting recurrence within 1 year of detected and treated posterior and horizontal canal BPPV episode was developed with a prediction accuracy of 75.3% (71.3%; 79%) and 79.4% (71.6%; 85.9%), respectively.

The use of the algorithm proposed by us will allow not only to prevent the identified risk factors, but also to inform the patient in a timely and sufficient manner about the likelihood of a relapse of the disease in order to prevent the development of functional vertigo, as well as training in universal repositional maneuvers before a repeat consultation of specialist.