Peripheral Vestibular Problems in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Peripheral vestibular problems are rarely reported in children and adolescents. In this study, we present 34 cases with a diagnosis of peripheral vestibular disease. The subjects having a detailed analysis of personal and family histories were evaluated with neurotological and neurological examinations. Pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, electronystagmography (ENG) and videonystagmography (VNG) tests were applied. Thirty (88%) cases had motion sickness, 12 (35%) cases had migraine attacks and 29 (85%) cases had first degree relatives with migraine and 22 (65%) cases had first degree relatives with a history of dizziness. Two kinds of nystagmus were detected due to ENG and VNG: spontaneous vestibular nystagmus (41%) and positional vestibular nystagmus (59%). Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) of low frequencies were detected in 4 (12%) cases. The pure tone averages of 30 (88%) cases were between normal limits but, low frequencies were 10 dB lower than the high frequencies bilaterally. Decreased unilateral caloric response was detected in 8 cases (23.5%). As a conclusion, the subjects with an associated migraine may solely have spontaneous vestibular nystagmus; these attacks may present as dizziness attacks with spontaneous vestibular nystagmus, as well, may present as typical vestibular attacks with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or fluctuating SNHL.

Keywords

• vertigo
• pediatric
• adolescent
• vestibular
• migraine.