Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo : incidence and effectiveness of epley's analith repositioning manoeuvre

Abstract EN

Background / Am : benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)is a syndrome characterized by short-lived episodes of rotatory vertigo.

The Dix Hall pike test has been described to confirm the diagnosis.

Positional therapies have been described including Brandt-Daroff exercises, and carnality repositioning man oeuvres namely Employ's and Sermon's man oeuvres.

In this work we aimed to assess the incidence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in a tertiary referral otolaryngological unit, and to evaluate the effectiveness of Employ's man oeuvre in its management.

Material and Methods : A retrospective study was designed to evaluate the notes of all the dizzy patients presented over a 22 months period.

The Dix Hall pike test and the Employ's man oeuvre were described.

The 72 patients presented with BPPV were analyzed and invited to have an appointment to repeat the Dix Hall pike test.

Results : Seventy two patients 32 %) out of 228 dizzy patients had BPPV.

Females were more prone to BPPV with an average age of 56 years.

Complete resolution of the vertigo was achieved in 83 % of patients after one Employ's man oeuvre.

Up to 4 treatment sessions was required to cure BPPV.

There was no correlation between the duration of the symptoms (r = 0.23) or age of the patient (r = 0.18) and the number of man oeuvres required.

Recurrence of vertigo was observed in 7 % of patients who were treated successfully by repeating the Employ's man oeuvre.

Conclusion : BPPV is the commonest cause of vertigo in dizzy patients presenting to ENT clinics.

The proper interpretation of the Dix Hall pike test is reliable on diagnosing patients with BPPV.

The Employ's man oeuvre is a safe and effective treatment for posterior canal BPPV.