Retro-labyrinthine Disorders Detected by Galvanic Body Sway Responses in Routine Equilibrium Examinations

Abstract

Watanabe Y, Mizukoshi K, Ohi H, Yasuda K, Ohasi N. Kobayashi H. Retro-labyrinthine disorders detected by galvanic body sway responses in routine equilibrium examinations. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1989; Suppl. 468: 343–348.

Galvanic stimulation applied to the head provides important information for differential diagnosis between inner ear and retro-labyrinthine disorders of the vestibular system. So far, galvanic stimulation has been difficult to introduce in routine practice because of side effects such as severe pain around the electrode area. We have developed a new method to record fine body sway elicited by low current stimulation of less than 0.4 mA and to quantitatively evaluate the responses by Fourier transform. During the past 5 years, 502 patients, showing uni- or bilateral canal paresis in the caloric test or findings of central disequilibrium, were tested by this method without producing any side effects. In 122 patients (24.8%), such as sudden deafness, acoustic tumour, vascular disorders of the CNS system and so on, findings of retro-labyrinthine disorders were detected. It has been concluded that this method was easy to perform and very useful for differential diagnosis of diseases of the vestibular system.

Key Words:

• galvanic test
• retro-labyrinthine disorders