PROFILE OF PATIENT PRESENTING WITH VERTIGO AT TERTIARY VERTIGO REFERRAL CENTER IN NEPAL

Abstract

Objectives: Vertigo / dizziness are one of common reasons for medical consultation with lifetime prevalence between 20% -30%. In this study we tried to analyse the clinical profile of patients with vertigo/ dizziness to observe its relationship with age, sex , disease, history , clinical examination to establish various aetiological factors for vertigo

Materials and methods: Cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of ENT and head Neck Surgery, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, and ENT Care Centre Nepal, Pvt Ltd Kathmandu, Nepal over a period of 12 months from January 2017 to December 2017.

Results: Vestibular migraine and benign paroxysmal postural vertigo were most common cause of vertigo. Majority of patients had symptoms for less than a month. Duration of each attack of vertigo was less than minute in 29 cases and less than hour in another 29 cases. Vertigo was intermittent in 78 cases. Family history of vertigo was present in 12 cases.

Conclusion: Treatment should be trailered for individual patients according to aetiology of vertigo. Aetiology/diagnosis must be established in each and every patient by proper history, meticulous clinical examination and investigations when required.

Keywords: Dizziness, Vertigo, Vestibular Migraine, BPPV