Vestibular neuritis in children and adolescents: Clinical features and recovery.
OBJECTIVE
Describe the clinical presentation and recovery of vestibular neuritis in children and adolescents.


STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective case series.


SETTING
Pediatric tertiary care center.


SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Eleven patients diagnosed with vestibular neuritis were identified from a database of 301 patients evaluated at our pediatric vestibular clinic from January 2012 through January 2015. Medical records were reviewed to determine clinical presentation, vestibular testing results, treatment, and recovery. Incomplete recovery was defined as residual dizziness or imbalance at most recent follow-up >30 days from symptom onset.


RESULTS
Patients were 5-19 years old (mean 13.1±5.34) and included 6 boys and 5 girls. All presented with a sudden rotational vertigo, imbalance, and nausea for an average of 10 days without other associated symptoms. Testing included rotary chair (8 of 9 abnormal), caloric (2 of 2 abnormal), video head impulse (5 of 8 abnormal), subjective visual vertical (4 of 8 abnormal), and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (0 of 6 abnormal) tests. All patients with incomplete recovery (n=4; 36%) were ≥15 years old at symptom onset. All patients with incomplete recovery that underwent vestibular rehabilitation (n=2) initiated it ≥90 days from symptom onset, while 3 out of 4 patients with complete recovery that underwent vestibular rehabilitation initiated it ≤14 days from symptom onset. Two patients received oral steroids, neither of whom had incomplete recovery.


CONCLUSION
Vestibular neuritis should be considered in pediatric patients with vertigo and may result in longstanding symptoms, particularly in adolescents. The treatment of pediatric vestibular neuritis with rehabilitation and steroids deserves further study.
['Brodsky|Jacob R|JR|', 'Cusick|Brandon A|BA|', 'Zhou|Guangwei|G|']
D000293:Adolescent D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D005260:Female D005938:Glucocorticoids D006801:Humans D008297:Male D012189:Retrospective Studies D062606:Tertiary Care Centers D014717:Vertigo D014724:Vestibular Function Tests D020338:Vestibular Neuronitis D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth D055815:Young Adult
Vestibular neuritis Vestibular neuronitis, Pediatric dizziness, Pediatric vestibular testing, Childhood vertigo, Video head impulse test