KBB-Forum 2013 , Cilt 12, Sayı 3

EVALUATION OF CERVICAL LORDOSIS IN BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO: PILOT STUDY

Dr. Duygu ERDEM1, Dr. Gökçe AKSOY YILDIRIM1, Dr. Emin ULAŞ ERDEM2
1Bartın Devlet Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Kliniği, Bartın, Türkiye
2Hacettepe Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Ankara, Türkiye
Objectives: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo. Its etiology is explained by canalolithiasis and/or cupulolithiasis theories. Head trauma, labyrinthitis, chronic suppurative otitis media, stapes surgery, prolonged bed rest and some medications are blamed but in 50-70% of cases the reason still remains unknown (idiopathic). On the other hand, vertigo is accompanied with most cervical spine diseases. Despite this, cervical assessment in BPPV is made by few clinicians. Aim of our study is to evaluate the cervical vertebrae lordosis radiologically and make a contribution to BPPV etiology.

Materials and Method: 40 patients, age from 24 to 70 years, appealed to our clinic with vertigo complaint and diagnosed as BPPV due to clinic and laboratory examination were included in our study. Assessment of cervical vertebra lordosis is made with “posterior tangent method” (the angle between the line that crosses parallel to posterior borders of C2 and C7 vertebrae).

Results: Mean lordosis angle was measured as 19.92°. In 35 of 40 patients cervical lordosis angle were lower than 34° which was accepted normal due to posterior tangent method.

Conclusion: According to our study there is a strong relationship between BPPV and cervical vertebra alignment. Our study is a pilot study and we think that it is going to be a basis for further researches. Keywords : Vertigo, posterior tangent method, cervical lordosis