A Case of Cerebellar Hemangioblastoma Mimicking Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Abstract

Received September 22, 2011 Revised November 18, 2011 Accepted November 29, 2011 Address for correspondence Hyun Seung Choi, MD Department of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, 100 Ilsan-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang 410-719, Korea Tel +82-31-900-0972 Fax +82-31-900-0613 E-mail choihyunseung@gmail.com The most common cause of positional vertigo is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). BPPV is characterized by brief recurrent spells of vertigo often brought about by certain head position changes that occur when looking up, turning over in bed, or straightening up after bending over. Its diagnosis relies on a thorough history and physical examination, including Dix-Hallpike maneuver. BPPV usually resolves spontaneously, but treatment of persistent cases with canalolith repositioning maneuvers and exercise therapy has been relatively successful. Those patients with atypical findings or whose symptoms fail to respond to medical therapy and otolith repositioning maneuver, however, require further evaluation to rule out intracranial pathologic conditions. We report here on an unusual case of cerebellar hemangioblatoma showing paroxysmal positional vertigo with a review of the related literature. Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2012;55:58-61 Key WordsZZPositional vertigo ᆞPositional nystagmus ᆞHemangioblastoma.