Intracranial tumors mimicking benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a common type of vertigo seen by the otolaryngologist; however, intracranial tumors can mimic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in their presentation. A review of patients seen in the Department of Otolaryngology at The Ohio State University between July 1992 and August 1996 identified five patients with intracranial pathologic conditions mimicking benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. These patients were first seen with episodic vertigo associated with positional change. Failure of the symptoms to respond to the particle repositioning maneuver or the finding of associated auditory or neurologic symptoms prompted further evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, which revealed intracranial pathologic conditions including two meningiomas, a vestibular schwannoma, a glioma, and a lipoma. These findings suggest that patients seen with symptoms like those of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo who do not show improvement after undergoing the particle repositioning maneuver or those who describe associated auditory or neurologic symptoms should have magnetic resonance imaging done to rule out intracranial pathologic conditions. Additionally, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and intracranial tumors may coexist.