Cerebellar infarctions and 'vestibular neuritis'.
Consecutive subjects 50 to 75 years of age with sudden onset of vertigo but without cochlear or neurological symptoms were investigated with neuro-imaging techniques. Doppler sonography of the vertebral and carotid arteries and recording of voluntary saccades and pursuit eye movements, caloric, spontaneous, gaze and optokinetic nystagmus. Among those studied, 6 out of 24 subjects could be demonstrated to have cerebellar infarctions, another 2 subjects had occlusion of one vertebral artery. Caloric tests could not identify subjects with a cerebellar infarction whereas prominently reduced pursuit eye movements could. Subjects with cerebellar infarction either had a vertebral artery occlusion or prominent cardio-embolic risk factors. It is suggested that subjects with symptoms as vestibular neuritis should be investigated with pursuit eye movements and with at least standard ECG recordings.
Magnusson
M
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital of Lund, Sweden.
Norrving
B
B
D000368:Aged; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004453:Echoencephalography; D004584:Electronystagmography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009443:Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D014725:Vestibular Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000160:Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology