Young Myoung Kim, MD, Hee Nam Kim, MD, Jeung Gweon Lee, MD, and Kee Hyun Park, MD (Director : Prof. Gill Ryoung Kim, MD) |
A dizziness indicates a disturbed sense of relationship to space (De Weese, 1950) and it may be produced by alteration in the normal physiology of the eyes, the proprioceptive system, the statokinetic system (labyrinth, eighth nerve, and vestibular nuclei), the cerebellum or the cerebrum. However, only a disturbance of the stakokinetic system gives rise to true, whirling vertigo, and patients with unilateral tinnitus, sensorineural hearing impairment and/or dizziness present as an interesting diagnostic problem. The otoneurologist should have a well thought out approach to these problems in order to reach the accurate diagnosis and institute the suitable treatment. Intracranial pathology, as a possible cause of the symtoms, must be considered in each instance. The author experienced fifty-two cases of the dizzy patients and performed the oto-neurologic evaluation for them by way of five following aspects : 1) Auditory, 2) Vestibular, 3) Neurologic, 4) Radiologic, 5) Metabolic and other. The autor concluded that the history taking played a dominant role in the diagnosis of the dizzy patients. None would wish to rely on the history taking alone, but if only one of history taking, physical examination, and special test were available, experienced clinical oto-neurologists would choose the history taking. For the diagnosis of the dizzy patients, pure tone audiogram, caloric test and positioning nystagmus test as a screening test can be available in the dizzy clinic.
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