classification by site of lesion
Last reviewed 07/2023
- vertigo may be due to central lesions or peripheral lesions. Vertigo may also be psychogenic or occur in conditions which limit neck movement - "nuchal vertigo", for example, due to cervical spondylosis, or following a "whiplash" flexion-extension injury.
- it is important to determine whether the patient has a peripheral or central cause of vertigo (1)
- details obtained from the history that can be used to make this distinction includes:
(1)
- the timing and duration of the vertigo
- provoking or aggravating factors
- associated symptoms
such as
- pain
- nausea
- neurologic symptoms
- hearing loss
- the duration of vertiginous episodes and associated auditory symptoms helps to narrow the differential diagnosis (2)
Reference:
vertigo due to peripheral lesions