Modern concept of vascular vertigo

Abstract

Among the various causes of acute vestibular vertigo, vascular factors are of particular importance. Numerous studies show that the diagnosis of vascular vertigo remains inadequate, often leading to overdiagnosis of stroke and transient ischemic attacks in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders and vestibular migraine, on the one hand, and underestimation of the importance of cerebrovascular pathology, especially in patients with the first attack of persistent vestibular vertigo, on the other.The International Barany Society has developed and published diagnostic criteria for vascular vertigo. These criteria are intended to facilitate the identification of vascular causes of acute vestibular syndrome. Particular emphasis is placed on clinical signs because imaging techniques often do not allow detection of foci small in volume and area, especially in cases when stroke is manifested by an isolated vestibular syndrome. Key clinical signs to analyze when a vascular etiology of acute vestibular syndrome is suspected include nystagmus, corrective saccades on the Halmagyi test, smooth visual pursuit, visual saccades, severity of trunk ataxia, and hearing loss.