A survey of the nature of trauma of post-traumatic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

OBJECTIVE: A clinical description of post-traumatic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (t-BPPV) in a large cohort is reported, sometimes caused by apparently insignificant minor head traumas. The aim of the study was to carefully assess the prevalence of t-BPPV and the main outcomes belonging to specific traumatic events.

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of medical records of t-BPPV cases among patients suffering from BPPV.

STUDY SAMPLE: Among 3060 patients with a clinical diagnosis of BPPV, we reviewed 716 clinical cases in which a clear association to a traumatic event was present.

RESULTS: A traumatic event was identified in 23.4% of total enrolled BPPV patients. Some minor head traumas could be more prone to determine BPPV in females. We confirmed that t-BPPV appeared significantly more difficult to treat than idiopathic form. Posterior canal t-BPPV cases required more treatment sessions before obtaining therapeutic success, while horizontal ones recovered at most after two repositioning maneuvers.

CONCLUSION: Post-traumatic BPPV is considered one of the most common known etiologies. An accurate understanding of trauma mechanism, gender prevalence, and therapeutic success rates of each event, could be useful in adequately treating and planning follow-up examinations.