Vestibular Test Results in Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Audiological testing in individuals with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) has shown that the inner ear is affected in this patient group. The study's objective was to investigate the vestibular system in the inner ear in individuals with CVID.

The study included 22 (13 males and 9 females) healthy individuals and 24 (12 males, 12 females) patients diagnosed with CVID. All participants underwent caloric testing, video head impulse test (vHIT), and computerized dynamic posturography (CDP).

Healthy subjects' mean age was 38.55 ± 7.82 years (min 22-max 53) and the patient group's mean age was 37.33 ± 9.49 years (min 22-max 53). The groups exhibited comparable demographic and physical characteristics (P > .05). The caloric test results demonstrated a lower mean value in the CVID group compared to the control group (P < .05). The results obtained with CDP showed that there was a significant difference between the groups in both the anteroposterior and mediolateral planes, with lower vestibular and visual sensory organization scores in the CVID group (P < .05). According to vHIT test results, vestibulo-ocular reflex gains in the right lateral and left lateral semicircular canals were significantly lower in the CVID group compared to the control group (P < .05).

It should be noted that this patient group may present to clinics with complaints of dizziness and hearing loss and may have dizziness even at the time of initial diagnosis.