Medical and Psychiatric Causes of Episodic Vestibular Symptoms

William J Meurer; Phillip A Low; Jeffrey P Staab

doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2015.04.007

Medical and Psychiatric Causes of Episodic Vestibular Symptoms

Neurol Clin. 2015 Aug;33(3):643-59, ix. doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2015.04.007. Epub 2015 Jun 12.

Authors

William J Meurer¹, Phillip A Low², Jeffrey P Staab³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, Taubman Center B1-354 SPC 5303, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Taubman Center B1-354 SPC 5303, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: wmeurer@med.umich.edu.
² Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

PMID: 26231277
DOI: 10.1016/j.ncl.2015.04.007

Abstract

Dizziness and vertigo are among the most common presenting patient complaints in ambulatory settings. Specific vestibular causes are often not immediately identifiable. The first task of the clinician is to attempt to rule in specific vestibular disorders, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo through physical examination, diagnostic testing, and history taking. A large proportion of patients with dizziness and vertigo will not be easily classified or confirmed as having a specific vestibular cause. As with any undifferentiated patient, the focus in this setting is to attempt to exclude serious or threatening causes.

Keywords: Dizziness; Episodic vestibular symptoms; Medication adverse effects; Orthostasis; Panic disorders; Syncope; Vertigo.

Publication types

Case Reports
Review

MeSH terms

Aged
Dizziness / diagnosis*
Dizziness / etiology*
Female
Humans
Male
Vertigo / diagnosis*
Vertigo / etiology*
Vestibular Diseases / diagnosis*
Vestibular Diseases / etiology*