Vestibular neuritis in children and adolescents: Clinical features and recovery.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Describe the clinical presentation and recovery of vestibular neuritis in children and adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN:

Retrospective case series.

SETTING:

Pediatric tertiary care center.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Eleven patients diagnosed with vestibular neuritis were identified from a database of 301 patients evaluated at our pediatric vestibular clinic from January 2012 through January 2015. Medical records were reviewed to determine clinical presentation, vestibular testing results, treatment, and recovery. Incomplete recovery was defined as residual dizziness or imbalance at most recent follow-up >30 days from symptom onset.

RESULTS:

Patients were 5-19 years old (mean 13.1±5.34) and included 6 boys and 5 girls. All presented with a sudden rotational vertigo, imbalance, and nausea for an average of 10 days without other associated symptoms. Testing included rotary chair (8 of 9 abnormal), caloric (2 of 2 abnormal), video head impulse (5 of 8 abnormal), subjective visual vertical (4 of 8 abnormal), and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (0 of 6 abnormal) tests. All patients with incomplete recovery (n=4; 36%) were ≥15 years old at symptom onset. All patients with incomplete recovery that underwent vestibular rehabilitation (n=2) initiated it ≥90 days from symptom onset, while 3 out of 4 patients with complete recovery that underwent vestibular rehabilitation initiated it ≤14 days from symptom onset. Two patients received oral steroids, neither of whom had incomplete recovery.

CONCLUSION:

Vestibular neuritis should be considered in pediatric patients with vertigo and may result in longstanding symptoms, particularly in adolescents. The treatment of pediatric vestibular neuritis with rehabilitation and steroids deserves further study.

• Authors: Jacob R Brodsky, Brandon A Cusick, Guangwei Zhou
• Journal: International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology (Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol) Vol. 83 Pg. 104-8 (Apr 2016) ISSN: 1872-8464 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 26968063 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Glucocorticoids

Topics

• Adolescent
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Glucocorticoids (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Male
• Retrospective Studies
• Tertiary Care Centers
• Vertigo (diagnosis, physiopathology, therapy)
• Vestibular Function Tests (methods)
• Vestibular Neuronitis (diagnosis, physiopathology, therapy)
• Vestibule, Labyrinth (physiopathology)
• Young Adult