A3. Differential diagnosis of vertigo and dizziness Flashcards
History taking in vertigo and dizziness
- Distinguish the type of dizziness
- Duration
- Exacerbations:
*Worse with
-head movement,
-eye closure (vestibular)
-no change (nonvestibular)
*Worse with exercise
(cardiac, pulmonary cause) - Associated symptoms:
*Neurological (central):
*Audiological (peripheral): hearing loss, tinnitus, otalgia
*Nausea/vomiting (peripheral vestibular disorders)
*SOB, palpitations
types of dizziness
○ Vertigo (room-spinning): illusion of rotatory movement due to disturbed orientation of the body in space
○ Lightheadedness (disconnected from environment)
○ Presyncope
○ Dysequilibrium (unstable, off-balance)
Exacerbations of vertigo and dizziness
○ Worse with
head movement,
eye closure (vestibular),
no change (nonvestibular)
○ Worse with exercise (cardiac, pulmonary cause)
vertigo and dizziness
Associated symptoms
○ Neurological (central):
- ataxia (TIA, VBI, migraine),
- changes in consciousness,
- transient diplopia,
- dysphagia,
- dysarthria,
- headache,
- sensory/motor deficits (CNS)
classification of vertigo
can be —- or —-
which is more common??
- Central (brainstem or cerebellar), 15%
- Peripheral (inner ear or vestibular nerve), 85%
causes of Central Vertigo
Central (brainstem or cerebellar)
■ Cerebrovascular disorders:
● TIA
● Stroke
● Vertebrobasilar insufficiency
■ Drugs/toxins
■ Tumor (astrocytoma)
■ Trauma
■ Inflammation (meningitis, cerebellar abscess)
■ Migrainous vertigo
■ Multiple sclerosis (demyelination)
■ Syringobulbia
causes of Peripheral Vertigo
(inner ear or vestibular nerve)
■ Menière’s
■ BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo)
■ Trauma
■ Drugs: streptomycin, quinine, salicylates
■ Labyrinthitis
■ Vestibular neuronitis
■ Cerebellopontine angle tumors
*Acoustic neuroma
*Meningioma
*Epidermoid/dermoid
■ Cerebellopontine angle tumors
●Acoustic neuroma
●Meningioma
●Epidermoid/dermoid
they can cause peripheral vertigo (inner ear or vestibular nerve)
Differential diagnosis of dizziness
-
Vertigo
*central: brainstem or cerebellar
*peripheral** (inner ear or vestibular nerve) -
Nonvertiginous:
*Psychogenic (diagnosis of exclusion)
■ Depression
■ Anxiety etc -
Vascular
■ Orthostatic hypotension
■ Stokes-Adams syndrome
■ Arrhythmia
■ CHF
■ Aortic stenosis
■ Vagovagal episodes
■ Metabolic causes
*Ocular
■ Decreased visual acuity
Nonvertiginous
○ Psychogenic (diagnosis of exclusion)
■ Depression
■ Anxiety etc
Nonvertiginous vascular causes
■ Orthostatic hypotension
■ Stokes-Adams syndrome
■ Arrhythmia
■ CHF
■ Aortic stenosis
■ Vagovagal episodes
■ Metabolic causes
Vertigo what is it
- is an illusion of rotational, linear or tilting of self or environment
● Produced by peripheral (inner ear or vestibular nerve) or central (brainstem, cerebellum) stimulation
Imbalance symptom for peripheral VS central vertigo
- Peripheral: moderate-severe imbalance
- central: mild-moderate
Nausea and vomiting symptom for peripheral VS central vertigo
- Peripheral: Severe
- central: Variable
Auditory symptoms symptom for peripheral VS central vertigo
- Peripheral: common
- central: rare