Objectives: To assess the prevalence and related factors of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH).
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 156 consecutive inpatients with SIH, and collected the clinical and radiological data. These patients were divided into BPPV group and non-BPPV group according to the clinical manifestation and the results of Dix-Hallpike or supine roll tests during hospitalization period. We performed a univariate analysis and a further multiple logistic regression analysis to identify the related factors of the development of BPPV in SIH patients.
Results: BPPV was detected in 18 patients among the total 156 SIH patients (11.54%). The univariate analysis showed a low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure (P = 0.018), a small pontomesencephalic angle (P = 0.012) and a positive venous distension sign (VDS) (P = 0.045) were associated with the presence of BPPV. But the multivariate analysis only demonstrated a low CSF pressure was related to the presence of BPPV (OR = 1.022, 95% CI: 1.001-1.043, P = 0.044).
Conclusion: BPPV is common in SIH patients. SIH patients with low CSF pressure may be prone to develop BPPV.
Keywords: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension; benign paroxysmal positional vertigo; cerebrospinal fluid pressure.