Do you know what vestibular neuritis is?

Vestibular neuritis is an inflammatory disease that occurs in the vestibular system and is mainly divided into acute vestibular neuritis and chronic vestibular neuritis. In severe cases, it can cause many physical discomforts and even endanger life safety, so people must have a full understanding of this. Vestibular neuritis is mainly caused by viral infection, vestibular nerve stimulation, lesion factors and diabetes.

1. Basic Information

Vestibular neuritis is also known as epidemic vertigo, epidemic labyrinthitis, acute labyrinthitis or vestibular paralysis. The inflammation is limited to the vestibular system, while the cochlea and central nervous system are normal. It mostly affects adults aged 20 to 60 years old, and there is often a history of upper respiratory tract infection before the onset of the disease. This disease can be divided into acute and chronic types.

2. Etiology and Pathology

(I) Serum tests after viral infection showed that the titers of herpes simplex and herpes zoster viruses were significantly increased.

(ii) Vestibular nerve stimulation Vestibular nerve is compressed by blood vessels or arachnoid adhesions, or even caused by stenosis of the internal auditory canal, leading to nerve hypoxia and degeneration, which in turn stimulates nerve discharge and causes the disease.

(III) The lesion factors may involve autoimmune reactions.

(IV) Diabetes: Schuknecht et al. (1972) reported that diabetes can cause degeneration and atrophy of vestibular neurons, leading to recurrent vertigo attacks.

Pathological examination of some patients after vestibular nerve section revealed isolated or scattered degeneration and regeneration of the vestibular nerve, a reduction in nerve fibers, vacuolation of ganglion cells, and an increase in collagen deposits in the nerves.

Pathological changes

Pathological examination of some patients after vestibular nerve section revealed isolated or scattered degeneration and regeneration of the vestibular nerve, a reduction in nerve fibers, vacuolation of ganglion cells, and an increase in collagen deposits in the nerves.

(1) Acute vestibular neuritis: 80% of patients experience a sudden attack of vertigo when waking up at night after respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. The symptoms reach a peak within a few hours and are accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The symptoms may last for days or weeks and then gradually return to normal. Recovery in the elderly is slow and may take several months. Most of the time one ear is affected, and occasionally both ears are affected at the same time. There is spontaneous paralytic nystagmus towards the healthy side. Several people in a family may be affected, and there may also be collective outbreaks presenting as small epidemics. The characteristic of the disease is that there is no tinnitus or deafness during the illness.

(ii) Chronic vestibular neuritis mostly affects middle-aged and older people, and can cause repeated attacks of vertigo, which are mild and more obvious when walking upright. They can last for several years, and nausea and vomiting are rare. The patient often suffers from a long-term feeling of instability.