title: Clinical characteristics and natural course of recurrent vestibulopathy: a long-term follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical characteristics and the natural course of recurrent vestibulopathy (RV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the period April 2002 to February 2008, we reviewed the clinical records of 98 patients diagnosed with RV. All patients were approached by telephone and using a questionnaire. The analysis included age, sex distribution, natural history, pure-tone audiometry, caloric response, age at onset, and the characteristics of vertigo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up was 63.1 months (range, 24-103 months). Patients had a mean age at onset of 39 years and a mean duration of 4.2 years. An obvious female predilection was found, and unilateral caloric paresis (≥ 25%) was seen in 35%. Of the 98 patients, symptoms resolved in 82% but were unchanged in 12%. RV developed to Ménière's disease in four patients and to migraine in two. No patient with RV developed a central nervous system disease or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that in the majority of cases, vertigo spontaneously resolves and that the risks of development to Ménière's disease or migraine are low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong-Kyoung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seong-Ki
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Sea-Yuong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Jin-Pyeong
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Je
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong Gu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: Dae Woo
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Hung-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002150:Caloric Tests; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology*