Dizziness and/or vertigo as a reason for consultation in the neurology polyclinic

A descriptive case

Abstract

Introduction: dizziness and vertigo are one of the main causes of consultation in medicine. Patients suffering from these symptoms repeatedly consult due to the impairments caused by them, and in many cases the etiological diagnosis is not clear. It is a costly condition both for health services and patients.
Objectives: 1. To learn about the clinical features of the population that consulted for dizziness and/or vertigo in the neurology polyclinic of the University Hospital. 2. To evaluate the kinds of vertigo and their etiology.
Method: we conducted a prospective study during six months in a cohort of patients over 15 years old, who consulted for dizziness and /or vertigo.
Results: 64 patients were included in the referred period of time (84% women, 16% men); average age was 55.2 years old. Seventy eight per cent of patients had already consulted previously, for these same symptoms. The specialists most frequently consulted were general practitioners (28%). Seventy two per cent of patients suffered from real vertigo and they had been experiencing the symptom for over a year in 52% of cases. Upon physical examination, the most widely used clinical signs to assess the vestibular system (Romberg, Barany y Unterberger) were found to have high specificity, although their sensitivity is low. The most frequent etiology diagnosis was benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), in 39% of patients.
Conclusions: dizziness and vertigo are frequent reasons for consultation, and usually patients consult repeatedly. We need to make our best to achieve the right etiologic diagnosis and appropriate treatment.