Clinical characteristics of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo after traumatic brain injury

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics of brain injury and to assess the relationship between them and treatment outcomes in patients with traumatic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (t-BPPV).

Sixty-three consecutive patients who were diagnosed with BPPV within 2 weeks after head trauma were included.

Cerebral concussion, intracranial hemorrhages (ICH), skull fracture without ICH, and hemorrhagic contusion were observed in 68%, 24%, 5%, and 3% of t-BPPV patients, respectively. BPPV with single canal involvement was observed in 52 (83%) patients and that with multiple canal involvement was observed in 11 (17%) patients. The number of treatment sessions was not significantly different according to the cause of head trauma (p = 0.252), type of brain injury (p = 0.308) or location of head trauma (p = 0.287). The number of recurrences was not significantly different according to the cause of head trauma (p = 0.308), type of brain injury (p = 0.536) or location of head trauma (p = 0.138).

The present study demonstrated that there were no significant differences in treatment sessions until resolution and the mean number of recurrences according to the type of brain injury.