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Feature Article Neurology
Evaluation of the patient with acute vertigo
Recent articles on:
Neurological diseases
Neurological diseases
Abstract
Vertigo is a disabling symptom that is unpleasant for the patient and challenging for the assessing physician. A focused history and careful bedside examination while the patient is symptomatic often leads to a diagnosis.
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Key Points
- Vertigo is a disabling symptom, but most causes of vertigo are treatable and benign.
- A focused history and careful examination when the patient is symptomatic often leads to a diagnosis.
- When evaluating the dizzy patient, it is important to know whether the vertigo is spontaneous or positional, its duration and its associated symptoms, especially tinnitus, hearing fluctuations and headaches.
- Inspection for (peripheral v. central) nystagmus, the head impulse test and the Dix Hallpike test are the three key components of the physical examination.
- Benign positioning vertigo is the most common and correctable form of vertigo.
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