Vestibular Neuronitis in Childhood

Abstract

Over a 14-year period commencing in 1973, we followed 177 children less than 12 years old suffering from vertigo and/or disequilibrium. In 35 of 177 patients, the vertigo-like condition was due to peripheral causes: 10 sudden deafness, six vestibular neuronitis, three benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and three Meniere's disease. In this paper, two cases of pediatric vestibular neuronitis will be reported in detail. All six patients with vestibular neuronitis were boys, and the affected sides were equally distributed in the group. The patients recovered within two to four weeks, a prognosis which is better than that observed in adults. With regard to directional nystagmus, the gaze was bilateral in five patients and vertical in two. They showed neuro-otologic findings that suggest not only unilateral dysfunction but also bilateral disorders or partial lesions on the central vestibular system. Consequently, in the hope that the study of vertigo in childhood may provide additional clues to the pathogenesis of the disease in adults, we would like to consider two cases of pediatric cases of vestibular neuronitis.