Oto-Neurological Finding in Post-Traumatic Encephalopathy

Abstract

An oto-neurological examination was performed at the Otolaryngological hospital of Helsinki University Central Hospital on 110 patients who had earlier sustained a skull injury and all of whom complained of vertigo as one of their symptoms. Neurological or neurosurgical examination had revealed post-traumatic encephalopathy in all the cases. The purpose of the examination was to establish the oto-neurological clinical picture and the extent to which this clinical picture could be utilized in diagnosing post-traumatic encephalopathy.

The nose, pharynx, epipharynx, larynx and ears of all the patients were examined clinically. Hearing was tested by audiometry and the vestibular function by calorization, the result of which was registered by electronystagmography.

The examination showed that 46 had completely normal hearing, 22 reduced hearing in one ear and 42 in both ears. The hearing defect was due to the skull lesion in 50 cases (45 per cent). As a result of the skull injury, one of those examined had developed deafness in both ears, five deafness in one ear. The result of the vestibular examination was normal for 25, while 33 had disorders in one vestibular organ and the remaining 52 showed a similar defect in both ears.

Although no regular, typical audiogram or vestibulogram can be established for cranial trauma, oto-neurological examination is often useful for the diagnosis.