Current Demography and Treatment Strategy of Vestibular Migraine in Neurotologic Perspective

This study aims to describe the demographic features of vestibular migraine (VM) compared to other common peripheral vestibulopathies, and to assess the efficacy of trigger management as primary VM treatment.

Retrospective study.

Tertiary referral medical center.

A retrospective chart review was performed of patients presenting with dizziness in a tertiary neurotology clinic. Among the newly diagnosed dizzy patients, those with a diagnosis of either VM, Ménière's disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, or vestibular neuritis/labyrinthitis were selected for comparisons of the disease demographics. VM patients with multiple clinic visits in the study period were included for the treatment strategy analysis.

A total of 1285 patients met the study inclusion criteria. In the newly diagnosed dizzy group comprising 814 patients, VM patients accounted for the largest (25%) and youngest (mean age 47 years) cohort, showing an obvious female preponderance of approximately 3.3:1. Furthermore, prevalence of VM declined significantly with advancing age, from 69%, to 34%, to 11%, in age groups of ≤30, 31 to 60, and >60 years, respectively. Trigger management, when employed as the primary VM first-year treatment, was effective for both sexes. Notably, it was more effective for women aged over than under 45 years.

In our tertiary referral neurotologic center, VM was the most common diagnosis in newly diagnosed dizzy patients aged under 60 years, especially in women. For primary VM treatment, trigger management is an effective option deserving consideration.