title: Relevance of plasma D-dimer measurement in patients with acute peripheral vertigo.
abstract: The aetiopathogenesis of acute unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction (APV), also known as vestibular neuritis, is still debated: the principal cause is viral infection with vascular factors second in importance. Plasmatic D-dimer, considered a plasmatic index of hypercoagulation, was measured in a group of 45 APV patients and in a group of 25 patients suffering from Ménière's disease. Measurements were taken both during the acute stage and after a four to six week period of pharmacological washout. The mean D-dimer levels were significantly higher than those measured in the controls both during the acute phase (301 SD161 vs 202 SD113 ng/mL) and after follow up (304 SD211 vs 192 SD111 ng/mL) (p = 0.008). Moreover, during the acute stage 23 of the APV patients (51.1 per cent) had plasmatic D-dimer levels above the upper normal limit (i.e.: <300 ng/mL), compared to four of those with Ménière's disease (16 per cent). Our results lead us to postulate an involvement of the haemostatic system in APV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, ENT Unit, University of Pisa, Italy. bfattori@ent.med.unipi.it
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fattori
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ursino
authors.forename: Renza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cristofani
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galetta
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nacci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D