title: Misdiagnosing Dizzy Patients: Common Pitfalls in Clinical Practice.
abstract: This article highlights 5 pitfalls in the diagnosis of common vestibular disorders: (1) overreliance on dizziness symptom type to drive diagnostic inquiry; (2) underuse and misuse of timing and triggers to categorize patients; (3) underuse, misuse, and misconceptions linked to hallmark eye examination findings; (4) overweighting age, vascular risk factors, and neuroexamination to screen for stroke; and (5) overuse and overreliance on head computed tomography to rule out neurologic causes. This article discusses the evidence base describing each pitfall's frequency and likely causes, and potential alternative strategies that might be used to improve diagnostic accuracy or mitigate harms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Health System, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: kakerber@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kerber
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine & Bloomberg School of Public Health, CRB-II, Room 2M-03 North, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Newman-Toker
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis*; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: Dizziness; Management; Vertigo; Vestibular disorder