Diagnoses in a dizziness unit.
Data are given on 2,515 patients who attended the Dizziness Unit on 3,113 visits. The sex incidence was 58% female, 42% male, and the sex preference most marked in the psychogenic group from ages 20 to 50. Dizziness is mainly a condition of middle-age; with a steadily aging population we can expect a disproportionate increase in patients with dizziness. Psychogenic dizziness was the commonest of all diagnoses (21.1%), followed closely by "undiagnosed"; together, these two comprised 40% of all diagnoses. Obviously, they deserve more clinical attention than such relatively rare conditions as delayed endolymphatic hydrops (0.5%) or inner ear fistula (0.4%). For all diagnostic categories, on repeated visits the original diagnosis was changed in about one-third of cases. Diagnostic conversion was most frequent in "undiagnosed", at a level of 58%.
Nedzelski
J M
JM
Barber
H O
HO
McIlmoyl
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture; D012737:Sex Factors; D014717:Vertigo / Q000150:complications