title: [Sudden onset vertigo: imaging work-up].
abstract: Vertigo and dysequilibrium are a frequent cause of medical consultation. Clinical evaluation is essential. Some cases of vertigo are diagnosed clinically while others require imaging, sometimes emergently (suspected stroke). MRI is the imaging modality of choice to assess the labyrinth (labyrinthitis? labyrinthine hemorrhage?), internal auditory canal (vestibular schwannoma? other tumor?…) and brain parenchyma including all structures of the auditory pathways: vestibular nuclei, vestibulocerebellar tract, tracts involved with ocular motricity, vestibular cortex… Multiple central etiologies exist: stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumor… However, some etiologies are best depicted with CT, especially lesions of the labyrinth: cholesteatoma, trauma, suspected dehiscence of the superior semicircular canal, suspected labyrinthine fistula… Finally, imaging may be negative (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, Meniere's disease, vestibular neuritis, migraine…), merely reducing the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Service de radiologie, hôpital Nord des hôpitaux de Marseille, université de la méditerranée Aix-Marseille-II, chemin des Bourrely, 13915 Marseille cedex 20, France. craigfab@gmail.com
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Craighero
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Casselman
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Safronova
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Foer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delanote
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Officiers
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology