The imaging of the dizzy patient: computed tomography versus magnetic resonance imaging

Excerpt

Dizziness is one of the most common presenting symptoms in both primary and tertiary settings, accounting for up to 10 % of primary-care presentations [1, 2] and approximately 4 % of the presentations at the emergency department [2]. Depending on its aetiology, it is usually classified as peripheral/vestibular or central; this classification is important not only for diagnostic purposes but also and mainly for targeted treatment. Meniere’s disease (MD), typically presenting as recurrent episodes of vertigo associated with fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus and aural pressure, is believed to be among the most common causes of peripheral dizziness [3]. Endolymphatic hydrops was histologically described nearly 80 years after the first clinical description of the disease and since then it has been considered the hallmark of MD [3]. Following the evolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), endolymphatic hydrops was demonstrated in imaging studies in patients with MD [4, 5], radiologically supporting the relation between hydrops and MD. …