Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo. Our Experience with Diagnosis andTreatment

Overview

The authors submit an overview of contemporary knowledge of benign positionalparoxysmal vertigo (BPPV). BPPV is fairly well known in western Europe and the USA and iscommonly diagnosed and treated. In our region the disease is still more or less unknown among thewider medical community. It is not unknown because it does not occur in this country but becausewe lack so far tradition and experience with its diagnosis and treatment.Vertigo of this type is caused by movements of the head, most frequently by turning in bed or bya backward movement of the head. The cause is the impact of the floating otolith on the hair cells ofthe posterior semicircular canal. The diagnosis is made by provocation using Dix-Hallping’s mano-euvres or preferably ENG. For treatment special positioning manoeuvres are used which shift theirritating floating particles into a non-irritable area.The authors present the first results of treatment of BPPV in the AUDIO-Fon centre. For treatmentSemont’s positional manoeuvres are used and subsequently Brand-Daroff exercise. The effect oftreatment is, consistent with data in the literature, 80 - 90%.

Key words:
benign positional paroxysmal vertigo, BPPV.