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Vertigo without cochlear symptoms: vestibular migraine or Menière disease?

Teggi R, Familiari M, Gatti O, Bussi M

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2021

72 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Menière's disease (MD) is an inner ear disorder due to raised endolymphatic pressure (hydrops), characterized by cochlear symptoms associated with episodic vertigo. In delayed hydrops, vertigo attacks begin long after the onset of a hearing loss. Few were published on MD in which the onset of vertigo precedes cochlear symptoms by several months. Vestibular migraine (VM) is also a cause of episodic vertigo and an association between migraine and MD was proposed. Purpose of our retrospective work was to assess clinical features associated with MD in which vertigo precedes by months cochlear symptoms.

METHODS: Our sample was composed by 28 subjects reporting episodic vertigo accompanied by migrainous headache or photo-phonophobia, without cochlear symptoms at onset; during follow-up, all patients developed cochlear symptoms leading to a diagnosis of MD. Results of bedside examination were compared with those of 48 VM subjects with diagnosis of VM confirmed in the follow-up. All subjects performed a bedside examination, including head-shaking, positional, and skull vibration test (SVIN).

RESULTS: SVIN was more frequent in MD, while positive positional test in VM. In the entire group of 72 subjects, migrainous headache during vertigo and positive positional test were correlated with a final diagnosis of VM.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data are not inconsistent with the hypothesis that in patients reporting only photo-phonophobia during vertigo attacks and with a positive SVIN,…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 72 participants or records.

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