Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio: A Shunned Entity as a Novelty in Diagnosing Peripheral Vestibular Disorders

Vestibular vertigo is a condition characterized by dizziness or imbalance, often resulting from changes in head position. With an incidence of 1.4% in adults, vertigo is a common symptom in the general population (Oxford Textbook of Vertigo and Imbalance, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013). To study the potential association of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders. A one year cross-sectional observational study with a total of 51 confirmed cases of peripheral vestibular disorders was conducted in the department ENT and HNS. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR) and DHI scoring was analysed. Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for statistical analysis. 41.18% of patients in the study were male, while 58.82% of the patients were female. In terms of numbers, it was discovered that the mean age of females (50.97) exceeded the mean age of males (48.43). The DHI score indicated a severe handicap in 58.82% of the study subjects with a mean NLR 6.93, while 39.22% participants showed moderate handicap with a mean NLR 7.20. Majority of the study subjects ellicited mild to moderate stress levels with respect to their NLR. Based on our results, we have concluded that neutrophil to lymphocyte plays a major role as a marker of peripheral vestibular diseases. With the majority of patients exhibiting moderate to severe handicap on dizziness handicap inventory scoring and mild to moderate stress levels; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio should be touted as a marker for peripheral vertigo.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-024-05118-4.