Vestibular disorders in children

Abstract

When vertigo and dizziness are diagnosed in a child, this is a matter of concern for the physician and the child's family. Prior to a comprehensive otological, neurological, and vestibular clinical examination, physicians often request CT or MRI scanning, although in most cases such expensive testing is unnecessary. The present work is based on the results of a 14-year study conducted with a sample of more than 2,000 children referred for vertigo and balance disorders to the functional vestibular evaluation unit of the ENT pediatric department at Robert Debré Hospital (Paris). The clinical signs of vestibular deficit and the most frequent aetiologies of vertigo and dizziness in children are detailed (migraine equivalent, ophthalmologic disorders, benign paroxysmal idiopathic pediatric vertigo, and temporal bone fracture), which has been helpful in determining the best diagnostic procedure and therapy for vertigo in children.