[Study on the causes and risk factors on vertigo and balance disorders in 118 elderly patients].
OBJECTIVE
To understand the various factors causing vertigo and balance disorders in the elderly.


METHODS
118 elderly patients (aged equal or older than 60 years of age) with vertigo or balance disorders were retrospectively analyzed through clinical symptoms, audio-vestibular function tests, X-ray, CT scan or MRI in cervical vertebras, brain and inner ears, ultrasonography, transcranial doppler (TCD) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in blood vessels on head and neck.


RESULTS
Of 118 patients, 70 (23%) of them suffered perip heral vestibular disorders while 29 (58%) having cerebral vertigo or dizzness, leaving 19 cases (16%) as unclassified.


CONCLUSIONS
For elderly patients, vertigo and balance disorders were commonly caused by many kinds of peripheral and cerebral vestibular pathological disfunctions while the functional weakness of vestibular organs and systems affected by the physiological process of ageing and different concommitant diseases as well as environmental, psychogenic factors should also be considered.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China.
Wei-ning
WN
Huang
Jin
J
Xu
Bo
B
Gao
Jin-mei
JM
Zhou
Gui-fang
GF
Liu
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology