PRM is more effective treatment and as safe as B-D exercise in the short term for unilateral and idiopathic PC-BPPV, and although it does not reduce the probability of recurrence in the 4-year follow-up period compared with B-D exercise, it may delay the second recurrence's onset in those patients who had already experienced a single recurrence. Our study supports the use of PRM as the treatment of choice in unilateral and idiopathic PC-BPPV, although exercise may be also considered as an alternative treatment in selected cases.

Our current study demonstrates strong evidence for inner ear damage in patients with PsA.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin affecting up to 1% of the population. Little is known about audiovestibular impairment in patients with AS, especially the presence of cochleovestibular dysfunction in these patients. To investigate audiovestibular manifestations in AS, we studied a series of 50 consecutive patients who fulfilled the modified New York diagnostic criteria for AS and 44 matched controls. Individuals with history of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular complications, peripheral artery disease, renal insufficiency, syphilis, Meniere and other vestibular syndromes, infections involving the inner ear, barotrauma, or in treatment with ototoxic drugs were excluded. Most patients with AS were men (80%). The mean age at the time of study was 52.5 years, and mean age at the onset of symptoms was 34.4 years. Twenty-nine (58%) patients showed abnormal hearing loss in the audiogram compared to only 8 (18%) controls (p < 0.001). Values of audiometric tests (pure-tone average and speech reception threshold) yielded significant differences between patients and controls (p < 0.001). It is noteworthy that the audiogram shape disclosed a predominant pattern of high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss in AS patients (50%) compared to controls (18%) (p = 0.002). Also, AS patients exhibited abnormal vestibular tests more commonly than controls. AS patients had an increased frequency of head-shaking nystagmus (20%) compared to controls (0%) (p < 0.001). Moreover, patients (26%) showed a significantly increased frequency of abnormal caloric test compared to controls (0%) (p < 0.001). Finally, a significantly increased frequency of abnormal clinical test of sensory integration and balance with a predominant vestibular loss pattern was observed in patients (36%) compared to controls (5%) (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the current study demonstrates strong evidence for inner ear compromise in patients with AS.

The present study shows an increased frequency of BPPV and a vestibular pattern in CTSIB in SSc patients.

This study indicates that oculographic findings are common in PsA. CTSIB is useful for assessing balance disorder screening in the routine clinical practice in these patients.