Evaluation of Types of Vertigo With Electronystagmography: An Experience From a Tertiary Care Hospital in West Bengal, India

Background Electronystagmography (ENG) is a diagnostic test that measures the electrical activity of the muscles that control eye movements. ENG has the potential to identify the cause of vertigo by assessing the function of the vestibular system. Vertigo can be of two types - peripheral or central. In addition, a combination of peripheral and central types may coexist. Peripheral vertigo is caused by pathology in the inner ear and central vertigo is caused by pathology in the brainstem or cerebellum. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of ENG in assisting the diagnosis of the type of vertigo in a remote tertiary care center in West Bengal, India. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care hospital in West Bengal, India. Any patient presenting first time with a complaint of vertigo was approached and recruited for the study after taking written informed consent. We collected demographics and conducted a complete ear, nose, and throat examination, including otoscopy and audiological evaluation. A consensus between two expert otorhinolaryngologists was reached for the categorization of vertigo. Then, ENG was performed to assess the vestibular function to help aid the categorization. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans were done in central vertigo patients according to the necessity to diagnose the cause. Data were presented in descriptive statistical terms and categorical data were compared by Chi-square test. Result A total of 84 patients (male 31, female 53) with a median age of 25 years (Q1-Q3: 21-30.25) participated in the study. We found 75% of the patients were complaining of instability, 50% rotatory objective vertigo, 29.76% falling tendency, 22.62% blackout, and 2.38% sinking sensation. The majority of the patients (63%) had two or more symptoms. A total of 68 (80.95%) patients could be categorized into peripheral (46 [54.76%]) and central (22 [26.19%]) types. When we added ENG to the tests, we could categorize all the patients and found that 48 (57.14%) had peripheral, 27 (32.14%) had central, and nine (10.71%) had mixed lesions. Conclusion ENG when used in conjunction with clinical examination, otoscopy, and an audiological examination can help to categorize all patients into peripheral, central, or mixed lesion types of vertigo. Hence, ENG can be an important tool in identifying the type of vertigo and can aid in appropriate treatment decisions.