ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Otorinolaringologia 2006 December;56(4):145-50

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Paroxysmal positional vertigo: analysis of prognostic factors

Balzanelli C., Casigli F. R., Cotelli M., Redaelli de Zinis L. O.

Clinica Otorinolaringoiatrica Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia

Aim. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic factors of paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Methods. Patient successfully treated with liberatory maneuvers were included. A retrospective analysis of the recurrence rate by the Kaplan-Meier method was performed. The impact of some factors (age, gender, previous vertigo attacks, head traumas, associated diseases, semicircular canal involved, number of maneuvers, pharmacological treatment) on recurrence rate was analyzed by univariate analysis with the log-rank test.
Results. There were 300 patients involved in the analysis. Fifty-five of them (18.3%) experienced one recurrence and 38 (12.7%) two or more recurrences. Three-year recurrence rate was 37.0%. Among the analyzed variables, only cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus significantly influenced recurrence rate (42.6% vs 32.3%).
Conclusions. Paroxysmal positional vertigo has a high recurrence rate even after successful liberatory maneuvers. Vascular diseases carry a still higher risk of recurrence. Therefore it is mandatory a correct information of the patient and an easy access to the outpatient clinic. Prevention and treatment of vascular diseases should be emphasized.