title: Sonographic examination of epiaortic vessels in patients with peripheral vertigo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the utility of echo-color-Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) of extracranial brain-supplying vessels in patients with peripheral vertigo of unknown origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred-fifty-six patients (study group; 42 male and 114 female; mean age 61.86 ± 14.14) and 161 patients (control group; 80 male and 81 female; mean age 62.31 ± 13.69) were prospectively evaluated with CDU of extracranial brain-supplying vessels. Plaques in common and/or internal carotid artery (CA), arterial wall intima-media thickness (IMT) of common CA and peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistive index (RI) of vertebral arteries (VA) were evaluated. Parametric (t-test) and non-parametric (Mann-Whitney U-test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) tests were applied. Logistic regression analysis was performed to provide odds ratio indicating the magnitude of risk of vertigo. Independent variables consisting of characteristics (age, sex), vascular risk factors (hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension) and CDU variables (IMT, plaque, PSV and RI of VA) were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plaques were found in 31 (19.8%) patients of study group and in 43 (26.7%) patients of control group. IMT > 1 mm was found in 98 (62.8%) patients of study group and in 125 (77.6%) patients of control group.Statistical tests, applied to PSV and RI, showed no significant difference (p-value >0.05). At logistic regression analysis, vertigo was associated with age, sex, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension and IMT (p < .01) while plaque, PSV and RI of VA were not significant factors (p > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IMT is the only CDU variable significantly associated with vertigo, especially in the lower age-classes (35-45 and 45-55) of study group.
authors: Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche e Forensi, Sezione di Scienze Radiologiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Salvaggio
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Gargano
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Campisi
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Cantisani
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Ricci
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Gallina
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Midiri
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Caruso
keywords: Carotid arteries; Intima media thickness; Ultrasound color Doppler; Vertigo
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