title: Acute vestibular neuritis: prognosis based upon bedside clinical tests (thrusts and heaves).
abstract: We compared bedside tests of vestibulo-ocular function (head thrust and head heave signs) with caloric testing results in 68 patients with acute vestibular neuritis seen at onset and in follow-up for one year. The head thrust and head heave signs each were strong predictors of a decreased probability of recovery, and if both were present, there was a trend for a slower recovery and a further decrease in the probability of recovery. If the head thrust sign was absent, recovery was assured. Our results suggest that careful bedside testing of semicircular canal (head thrust maneuver) and otolith (head heave maneuver) function provides useful information for predicting prognosis in patients with acute vestibular neuritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Radiology and Otolaryngology, Istituto di Discipline Otorinolaringologiche, Università degli Studi di Siena, Viale Bracci 53100, Siena, Italy. nutid@unisi.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nuti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandalà
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Broman
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Zee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002151:Calorimetry; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D014717:Vertigo / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000212:Acyclovir