IMPROVEMENT OF THE CALORIC TEST RESPONSE FOLLOWING IDIOPATHIC ACUTE PERIPHERAL VESTIBULAR DEFICIT

This study examined retrospectively the spontaneous recovery of patien ts with an acute peripheral vestibular deficit in order to determine w hether the caloric test response and with it vestibular function impro ves over time. The caloric bithermal was tested three times on 79 pati ents who were hospitalised with an acute deficit. The first test was r ecorded on emergency admission by observing nystagmus beats under the Frenzel glasses. Two to five days later a complete electronystagmus (E NG) examination was performed. A second ENG was performed,on average, 4 months later. 46% of the patients recovered a normal caloric canal p aresis value (less than 32%). By comparing the canal paresis values in the first and second ENG an improvement exceeding 30% was demonstrate d in 50% of the patients and there was no correlation between the exte nt of the canal paresis deficit and the amount of recovery. A simultan eous cochlear deficit had no influence on the recovery of vestibular f unction.