Post-Traumatic Dizziness; A Study of 12 Patients

Abstract

The clinical, otoneurological and surgical data combined with neuropathological findings of the operative specimens of the 8th nerve from 12 patients suffering from dizziness after head trauma were evaluated with the aim of deciding the site of primary lesion in each case. In 6 of the 12 patients, a peripheral lesion was interpreted. Four of the them had features of delayed hydrops syndrome, the fifth patient had a fracture of the internal auditory canal with compression atrophy of the 8th nerve, and the final patient might have had a perilymphatic fistula.

One half of the patients were interpreted to have a central lesion. Only 1 of them benefited from surgery. This patient had an arterial loop in the internal auditory canal. As far as can be determined the other 5 patients had a lesion at the level of 8th nerve-brain stem junction or central to it.