A tontura é considerada um dos sintomas mais comuns entre adultos, podendo interferir na qualidade de vida dos pacientes que apresentam este sintoma. Objetivos: Descrever os resultados obtidos à aplicação do DHI brasileiro na população estudada e compará-los com a conclusão do exame vestibular dos respectivos pacientes. Di zziness is one of the most common symptoms referred by adults. This symptom can decrease the dizzy patient's quality of life. Aim: To describe the results obtained from the application of the Brazilian version of the DHI and compare them with the conclusion of the vestibular test of the same patients. Study design: Clinical randomized. Material Method: Twenty five consecutive patients with chronic dizziness complaint were submitted to this questionnaire at the Otoneurology Clinic of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo. These patients were female and male adults with ages ranging from 44 to 88 years. Results: All patients presented handicap in their quality of life due to dizziness, mainly in the functional aspects. The functional aspects were worse (differences were statistically significant) in patients with peripheral vestibular hypofunction syndrome than the patients with peripheral vestibular hyperfunction syndrome. Conclusions: 1. Patients with chronic dizziness present abnormal quality of life because of dizziness, in relation to the physical, functional and emotional aspects, verified with the application of the Brazilian version of the DHI. Patients with peripheral vestibular hypofunction syndrome present worse quality of life because of dizziness related to the functional aspects than the patients with peripheral vestibular hyperfunction syndrome, verified at the application of the Brazilian version of the DHI.Palavras-chave: tontura, vertigem, qualidade de vida, síndromes vestibulares.

Post urography is a useful new tool to study the influence of vestibular diseases on balance.Aim: to compare the results from the Balance Rehabilitation Unit (BRU) static posturography in elderly patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), before and after Epley's maneuver.Materials and Methods: a prospective study of 20 elderly patients with a diagnosis of BPPV. The patients underwent static posturography and the limit of stability (LE) and ellipse area were measured. We also applied the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire to study treatment effectiveness.Results: 80% were females, with a mean age of 68.15 years. After the maneuver, the LE increased significantly (p=0.001). The elliptical area of somatosensory, visual and vestibular conflicts (2,7,8,9 situations) in BRU and the DHI scores decreased significantly (p<0.05) after treatment.Conclusion: the study suggests that elderly patients with BPPV may present static postural control impairment and that the maneuver is effective for the remission of symptoms, to increase in the stability and improvement in postural control in situations of visual, somatosensory and vestibular conflicts. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2010;76(5):623-9. ORIGINAL ARTICLE BJORL

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