Inferior vestibular neuritis: 3 cases with clinical features of acute vestibular neuritis, normal calorics but indications of saccular failure.
BACKGROUND
Vestibular neuritis (VN) is commonly diagnosed by demonstration of unilateral vestibular failure, as unilateral loss of caloric response. As this test reflects the function of the superior part of the vestibular nerve only, cases of pure inferior nerve neuritis will be lost.


METHODS
We describe three patients with symptoms suggestive of VN, but normal calorics. All 3 had unilateral loss of vestibular evoked myogenic potential. A slight, asymptomatic position dependent nystagmus, with the pathological ear down, was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
We believe that these patients suffer from pure inferior nerve vestibular neuritis.
Monstad
Per
P
Department of Neurology, Sørlandet Sykehus, Kristiansand, Norway. per.monstad@tele2.no
Økstad
Siri
S
Mygland
Ase
A
D000368:Aged; D002150:Caloric Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000473:pathology*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*