Retrospective review of children with vertigo: a 3-year experience

Year 2020, Volume: 6 Issue: 5, 449 - 456, 04.09.2020

Muhammet Furkan Korkmaz , Arzu Ekici

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.630613

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Objectives:
To
evaluate the age, sex, accompanying symptoms, etiologic factors and laboratory findings
in children with vertigo in a tertiary research hospital.

Methods: A
total of 183 children (65 boys and 118 girls), aged 3-18 (median:14), who presented
with complaints of vertigo between November 2016 and September 2019 in the pediatric
neurology department were examined retrospectively. Systemic and neurological examination
findings, laboratory findings including complete blood count and biochemical tests
(fasting blood glucose, electrolytes, liver-kidney function tests), iron,
iron-binding capacity, ferritin, vitamin B12 level and thyroid function test
results, electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging findings were
examined.

Results: The
frequency of vertigo complaints were found to be higher in female gender (p = 0.008). The frequency of admission was
significantly higher in adolescents (> 12 years) (67%) compared to other age
groups (p < 0.001). The most common
cause of vertigo was benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPVC) (23%) and orthostatic
hypotension (22%) was the second. When the relationship between the etiology of
vertigo and age was examined, the most common cause was BPVC under 12 years of
age, where as orthostatic hypotension was significantly more frequent in
adolescents (p < 0.001). Headache
(41%), syncope (27%) and nausea-vomiting (10%) were the most common accompanying
symptoms with vertigo. Epileptiform disorder was detected in 7% of patients who
underwent EEG. Of 171 patients who underwent neuroimaging, 85% reported as
normal and 10% had non-specific findings.

Conclusions: In children presenting with a complaint
of vertigo, a detailed history including the age at when the complaint began and
the accompanying symptoms, physical examination, blood pressure measurement, laboratory
tests, and EEG and neuroimaging (if necessary) should be performed with a
multidisciplinary approach. 

Keywords

vertigo, children, dizziness, differential diagnosis

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