Patients admitted to hospital for vestibular neuritis in 2011-2021

The incidence of vestibular neuritis in Norway is unknown. The disorder causes acute dizziness, which is a common reason for hospital admission. The objective of this study was to analyse the number of patients admitted to Norwegian hospitals for vestibular neuritis over an eleven-year period.

The number of patients admitted to hospital for vestibular neuritis and reported to the Norwegian Patient Registry in the period 2011-2021 was recorded. The figures were compared with the number of patients admitted for other vertiginous disorders.

The number of patients admitted to hospital for vestibular neuritis was 11.2 per 100,000 inhabitants per year (range 8.2-15.3). The number of patients admitted to hospital in the study period increased by an average of 7.9 % per year and was highest in the final year. Out of 63,884 patients admitted for vertiginous disorders in the study period, 6,450 (10.1 %) had vestibular neuritis.

The number of patients admitted to hospital for vestibular neuritis each year increased considerably in the study period. This is likely to be a reflection of the increased hospitalisation rate and improvements in diagnostic workup more than an actual increase in the incidence of the disorder. A minority of patients admitted for vertiginous disorders had vestibular neuritis.