Measurement of horizontal ocular deviation on magnetic resonance imaging in various disease with acute vertigo.

In our previous study, we found that horizontal ocular deviation (OD) was significantly increased in patients with unilateral vestibular neuritis (VN). This study is aimed to compare the measurements of horizontal OD in various diseases which can present as acute vertigo in the emergency department. We retrospectively reviewed patients who visited the emergency department and underwent brain MRI due to acute vertigo. We compared them to healthy controls who underwent brain MRI for a regular health examination. Among the study participants, 149 patients who were diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), unilateral Ménière's disease (MD), vestibular migraine (VM), unilateral vestibular neuritis (VN), or posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) infarction were enrolled. Absolute angles of horizontal OD were larger in the definite MD (19.1 ± 12.7°), possible and probable MD (15.5 ± 11.7°), and VN (22.2 ± 11.7°) groups compared to the control group (4.3 ± 3.7°). Most VN patients (83.3%) had horizontal OD toward the direction of the lesion. About half of the MD patients (46.2%) and half of the patients with PICA infarction (50.0%) had horizontal OD toward the opposite direction of the lesion. Regarding PICA infarction, horizontal OD was observed only in patients who immediately underwent an MRI after developing the PICA territory vestibulocerebellar infarction. Although the exact mechanism of horizontal OD is unclear, this study suggests that horizontal OD reflects a static vestibular imbalance, and that the eyeball is deviated to the weaker of the two vestibular nuclei during neural resting activity. Therefore, horizontal OD could be helpful in assessing for a prior vestibular imbalance.

The Impact of Allergic Rhinitis on Symptom Improvement in Pediatric Patients After Adenotonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVES: It is well known that allergic rhinitis (AR) has positive association with adenotonsillectomy. However, the impact of AR on symptom improvement after adenotonsillectomy is not well documented. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the effect of AR on the symptom improvement after adenotonsillectomy between AR and nonallergic patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 250 pediatric patients younger than 10 years old who received adenotonsillectomy from June 2009 to June 2014 in a tertiary referral hospital. All patients underwent skin prick test or multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST) before surgery and classified into AR group and control group. Obstructive and rhinitis symptoms including snoring, mouth breathing, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, itching, and sneezing were evaluated before and 1 year after surgery using questionnaire and telephone survey. RESULTS: AR group was 131 and control group was 119, showing higher prevalence (52.4%) of AR among adenotonsillectomized patients. Both groups showed dramatic improvement of symptoms such as snoring and mouth breathing after surgery (all P<0.05). However, AR group showed significantly less improvement than control group in snoring, mouth breathing, nasal obstruction, and rhinorrhea (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative mouth breathing and snoring were dependent on tonsil grade and postoperative symptoms were mainly dependent on presence of AR. Nasal obstruction was dependent on tonsil grade and presence of AR preoperatively and presence of AR postoperatively. These suggest the importance of AR as a risk factor for mouth breathing, snoring, and nasal obstruction. CONCLUSION: AR has positive association with adenotonsillectomy and not only allergic symptoms but also obstructive symptoms such as snoring and mouth breathing improved less in AR group than control group. Hence, patients with AR should be monitored for long-term basis and more carefully after adenotonsillectomy.

Prediction of Vestibular Imbalance in Acute Peripheral Vestibulopathy by Measuring Horizontal Ocular Deviation on Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to evaluate whether horizontal ocular deviation (OD) from MR imaging in the emergency room (ER) reflects vestibular imbalance, by comparing the horizontal OD in patients with acute vestibulopathy to controls. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 69 patients with acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy and 30 healthy subjects were included. Horizontal OD was quantified by using the axial T2-weighted fast-spin echo (FSE) images of the brain at 1.5 T. In the study group, the results of VFTs (videonystagmography [VNG], caloric test, rotary chair test, and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials [cVEMP]) were also reviewed. The averaged angle of right and left horizontal ODs was compared between patients with acute unilateral vestibulopathy and healthy controls. Also, the correlation between horizontal OD and results of VFTs was analyzed in the study group. RESULTS: The averaged angle of horizontal OD in study group (23.7°â€Š±â€Š11.6°) was significantly greater than that of control group (4.27°â€Š±â€Š3.7°) (p < 0.05). Horizontal OD significantly correlated with slow phase velocity of spontaneous nystagmus (SN), the value of caloric paresis (CP) on caloric testing, rotary chair gain, asymmetry ratio of rotary chair test and interaural difference (IAD) of cVEMP, regardless of time intervals between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and VFTs. CONCLUSIONS: Horizontal OD significantly correlated with parameters of VFT which reflect the vestibular imbalance. Therefore, horizontal OD can be used as an indicator of unilateral peripheral vestibular weakness.