Publication:

Unveiling the prevalence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in adults of Bangladesh

Background Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common disorder of the inner ear with symptoms including dizziness, vertigo, unsteadiness and nausea. It is considered as one of the most common causes of vertigo. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of BPPV in patients in adults of Bangladesh.

Methods This study included 100 patients diagnosed with BPPV who visited the department of medicine, Khawja Yunus Ali Medical College, Sirajgonj, Bangladesh. This 18-month long study included adult patients who were suffering from vertigo caused by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo only. Past medical history, general, neurological, and other systematic examinations, were conducted. The Dix-Hallpike test brain imaging (CT or MRI) and pure tone audiometry tests were done in selected cases. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to investigate the risk of BPPV by sex, age and comorbidities.

Results During the 1.5 year study period, 500 patients were diagnosed with BPPV among them 57% were male. The most common comorbidity was hyperthyroidism (17%). Vomiting was the most frequent symptom, present in 17% of the patients in this study. The Hallpike test was positive in 38% and among those, 87% showed improvement after undergoing the Epley manoeuvre.

Conclusions Patients with depressive disorders may have a higher risk of developing BPPV, particularly those who have hyperthyroidism or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), significant number of patients although my present with vertigo may have some neurological problems such as acoustic neuroma, lateral medullary syndrome, cerebellar stroke, multiple sclerosis.