Which condition is characterized by sudden onset of vertigo related to head position and is treated with Dix-Hallpike maneuver?

Which condition is characterized by sudden onset of vertigo related to head position and is treated with Dix-Hallpike maneuver?

• A. BPPV
• B. Vestibular neuronitis
• C. Ménière's disease
• D. Acoustic neuroma

Answer: (A)

This item centers on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and how it is examined and treated. BPPV causes brief episodes of vertigo that come on with specific head movements because tiny otoconia have become dislodged into a semicircular canal, most commonly the posterior canal, causing abnormal fluid flow and abnormal signals to the brain. The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is the classic test used to provoke the vertigo and the characteristic nystagmus, which confirms the diagnosis of BPPV. Once identified, treatment focuses on moving those loose crystals out of the canal with canalith repositioning maneuvers (such as the Epley maneuver), which relieves the symptoms. In contrast, vestibular neuronitis produces sudden, prolonged vertigo not tied to head position; Ménière's disease features vertigo episodes with fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus; and acoustic neuroma typically presents with gradual imbalance and unilateral hearing loss rather than sudden, position-triggered vertigo.

This item centers on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and how it is examined and treated. BPPV causes brief episodes of vertigo that come on with specific head movements because tiny otoconia have become dislodged into a semicircular canal, most commonly the posterior canal, causing abnormal fluid flow and abnormal signals to the brain. The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is the classic test used to provoke the vertigo and the characteristic nystagmus, which confirms the diagnosis of BPPV. Once identified, treatment focuses on moving those loose crystals out of the canal with canalith repositioning maneuvers (such as the Epley maneuver), which relieves the symptoms. In contrast, vestibular neuronitis produces sudden, prolonged vertigo not tied to head position; Ménière's disease features vertigo episodes with fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus; and acoustic neuroma typically presents with gradual imbalance and unilateral hearing loss rather than sudden, position-triggered vertigo.