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Published on: April 28, 2020
[Vertigo and dizziness in child: a clinical analysis in 120 cases]
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China.
Insights
Vestibular migraine of childhood (VMC), recurrent vertigo of childhood (RVC), and secretory otitis media (SOM) are the most common causes of vertigo in children. Diagnosis requires age-appropriate history-taking and examination, with attention to mental health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Neurology
- Vestibular Disorders
Context:
- Vertigo in children presents unique diagnostic challenges due to communication difficulties.
- Understanding the etiological spectrum is crucial for effective management of pediatric vertigo.
- Previous research has not comprehensively detailed the disease composition and age-specific prevalence of vertigo causes in children.
Purpose:
- To investigate the disease composition, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of vertigo in pediatric patients.
- To analyze the age-specific prevalence of different vertigo etiologies in children.
- To summarize diagnostic and treatment experiences for common pediatric peripheral vertigo.
Summary:
- A retrospective analysis of 120 children with vertigo revealed vestibular migraine of childhood (VMC) as the most frequent cause (52.5%), followed by recurrent vertigo of childhood (RVC) (15.8%) and secretory otitis media (SOM) (8.3%).
- Etiologies varied by age: SOM predominated in preschoolers, VMC in school-aged children, and Meniere's disease (MD) and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) were exclusive to adolescents.
- Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) incidence was higher in adolescents. Overall, children with vertigo demonstrated a good prognosis, emphasizing the importance of age-appropriate diagnostic approaches and mental health support.
Impact:
- Identifies VMC, RVC, and SOM as primary pediatric vertigo causes, with distinct age-related distributions.
- Highlights the need for tailored diagnostic strategies, including specific hearing and vestibular examinations, considering children's age and cooperation.
- Underscores the importance of addressing the mental health of both children experiencing vertigo and their parents.
Abstract:
Objective: To investigate the disease composition, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment characteristics of vertigo in children. Methods: A total of 120 children with vertigo diagnosed and treated in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing from February 2018 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed to explore the clinical characteristics of common peripheral vertigo in children and to summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment. Results: The etiological composition of 120 cases of vertigo in children are as follows: 63 (52.5%) cases of vestibular migraine of childhood (VMC), 19 (15.8%) of recurrent vertigo of childhood (RVC), 11 (9.2%) of probable vestibular migraine of childhood (PVMC), 10 (8.3%) of secretory otitis media (SOM), 6 (5.0%) of persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD), 4 (3.3%) of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), 2 (1.7%) of vestibular neuritis (VN), 2 (1.7%) of Meniere's disease (MD), 2 (1.7%) of inner ear malformation (IEM), and 1 (0.8%) of vestibular paroxysmal syndrome (VP).The major cause of vertigo in children of different ages was different. SOM was the most important cause in preschool children, followed by RVC and VMC; VMC was the most important cause in school-age children, followed by RVC; and MD and BPPV were exclusive found in adolescents. The incidence rate of PPPD was higher in adolescents than in preschool and school-age children. Children with vertigo had good prognosis in general. Conclusions: VMC, RVC and SOM are the most common causes in vertigo in children, and their proportion was different in different aged children. Transforming abstract feelings into specific information is the skill required for collecting medical history of children with vertigo. Considering the age and cooperation of children, appropriate hearing and vestibular examination techniques are recommended. We should pay more attention to the mental health of children with vertigo and their parents.
