Retrospective review of children with vertigo: a 3-year experience

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the age, sex, accompanying symptoms, etiologic factors and laboratory findings inchildren with vertigo in a tertiary research hospital.Methods: A total of 183 children (65 boys and 118 girls), aged 3-18 (median:14), who presented withcomplaints of vertigo between November 2016 and September 2019 in the pediatric neurology departmentwere examined retrospectively. Systemic and neurological examination findings, laboratory findings includingcomplete blood count and biochemical tests (fasting blood glucose, electrolytes, liver-kidney function tests),iron, iron-binding capacity, ferritin, vitamin B12 level and thyroid function test results, electroencephalography(EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging findings were examined.Results: The frequency of vertigo complaints were found to be higher in female gender (p = 0.008). Thefrequency of admission was significantly higher in adolescents (> 12 years) (67%) compared to other agegroups (p < 0.001). The most common cause of vertigo was benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPVC)(23%) and orthostatic hypotension (22%) was the second. When the relationship between the etiology of vertigoand age was examined, the most common cause was BPVC under 12 years of age, where as orthostatichypotension was significantly more frequent in adolescents (p < 0.001). Headache (41%), syncope (27%) andnausea-vomiting (10%) were the most common accompanying symptoms with vertigo. Epileptiform disorderwas detected in 7% of patients who underwent EEG. Of 171 patients who underwent neuroimaging, 85%reported as normal and 10% had non-specific findings.Conclusions: In children presenting with a complaint of vertigo, a detailed history including the age at whenthe complaint began and the accompanying symptoms, physical examination, blood pressure measurement,laboratory tests, and EEG and neuroimaging (if necessary) should be performed with a multidisciplinaryapproach.