Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most frequent type of vertigo 1,2,3 with prevalence between 10.7 and 64.0 per 100,000 population, and lifetime prevalence estimated of 3.2% in females, 1.6% in males, and 2.4% overall 1 . BPPV generally has the highest age distribution in the sixth decade of life 3,4 , with a prevalence approaching 9% among the elderly population 5 . It is characterized by brief, recurrent episodes of vertigo triggered by changes in head position. Its pathophysiology, so called the "vestibular stones, " concept, is either due to abnormal stimulation of the dome caused by free-floating otoliths within semicircular canals (canalolithiasis), or otoliths clinging in the dome (cupulolithiasis) 4,6,7 . The duration, frequency and intensity of symptoms, as well as the nystagmus phenotype, vary depending on the canal in question and the location of the debris within them. The idiopathic form is the most frequent and the average duration of episodic symptoms is about two weeks 8 . The right ear is usually more involved 9 . Eighty-six percent of affected individuals seek medical care but only 8% receive effective treatment 8 . When considering the frequency of affected semicircular canals, certainly for anatomical / positional reasons, BPPV of the horizontal canal (HC-BPPV) is four times less frequent than the posterior canal (PC-BPPV) 6,10 , but this frequency is increasing and currently, depending on the study, the recognition of HC-BPPV ranges from 10% to 42.7% 11,12 . Although the symptoms in HC-BPPV and PC-BPPV are similar, important 1 Instituto Nacional de Câncer, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil.
ABSTRACTBenign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), the most frequent cause of vertigo is associated with high morbidity in the elderly population. The most common form is linked to debris in the posterior semicircular canal. However, there has been an increasing number of reported BPPV cases involving the horizontal canals. The purpose of this article is to highlight the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment in 37 patients with horizontal canal BPPV; twenty-six with geotropic nystagmus, and eleven with the apogeotropic form. Treatment consisted of the Gufoni manoeuver in eighteen patients (48.6%), the barbecue 360° maneuver in twelve patients (32.4%), both manoeuvers in four patients (10.8%), both manoeuvers plus head shaking in one patient (2.7%), and the Gufoni maneuver plus head shaking in two patients. Cupulolithiasis patients were asked to sleep in a forced prolonged position. We obtained a complete resolution of vertigo and nystagmus in 30 patients (81.0%) on the initial visit.Keywords: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, horizontal canal, dizziness, nystagmus, canalith-repositioning maneuvers.
RESUMOVertigem posicional paroxística benigna (VPPB) é a causa mais frequente de vertigem e promove alta morbidade na população idosa. A forma mais comum está relacionada com otoconias no canal semicircular posterior. Entretanto, nos últimos anos identifica-se...