title: Multiple sclerosis. The value of clinical vestibular examination.
abstract: A clinical vestibular examination was carried out on 82 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) selected on McAlpine's criteria. Spontaneous nystagmus, positional nystagmus or pathological caloric test were found in 49 (60%) patients. Pathological horizontal optokinetic nystagmus occurred in 47 (57%) patients. In 36 cases horizontal optokinetic nystagmus was pathological to both sides, in 28 cases combined with a pathological vertical optokinetic nystagmus, indicative of diffuse intracerebral lesions. Lesions in the central vestibular system and in the optokinetic pathways were frequently discovered in early or atypical cases of MS.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002150:Caloric Tests; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests