VERTIGO AND TINNITUS Yrd Do Dr Rasim Ylmazer

VERTIGO AND TINNITUS Yrd. Doç. Dr. Rasim Yılmazer

Learning goal and objectives of the lesson Learning goal of the lesson: The learner should know the main clinical features and investigation of the tinnitus Learning objectives of the lesson the learner will be able to: n describe the tınnıtus, type of tinnitus n explain the evaluation methods for tinnitus n explain the rehabilitation methods for tinnitus

Learning goal and objectives of the lesson Learning goal of the lesson: The learner should know the main clinical features and investigation of the vertigo Learning objectives of the lesson the learner will be able to: n take a directed history from patient with vertigo n list the evaluation methods for peripheral vestibular system n describe the peripheral causes of vertigo Skill objectives the learner will be able to n evaluate the patient’s nystagmus during acute attack of peripheral vertigo. n learn how to approach the patient with cochleovestibular pathology

Vertigo

Steps 1. History Taking 2. Clear definition (Vertiginous or Nonvertiginous dizziness) 3. Peripheral or Central Vertigo 4. Psychogenic Vertigo

Differential diagnosis 1. Dizziness 2. Presyncope 3. Disequilibrium: Unsteady gait 4. Light-headedness

Symptoms n n n n Unconscious Pallor Sweating Nausea/Vomiting Auditory Symptoms : Hearing loss, Tinnitus, aural (ear) fullness Vertigo associated with high sounds or pressure Neurologic Symptoms: numbness, weakness, difficulty with swallowing or speech

Definition a subjective sensation of movement May feel either that him involving in space or that objects in the environment are moving around him.

History Taking n n n Description of the sensation (including associated symptoms) Onset (acute, gradual) Duration (date sensation was first noted, length of time it lasts) Intensity (how troubling is it? ) Exacerbations (activities, positions, circumstances that worsen situation)

n n Remissions (activities, positions circumstances that make sensation better) Medications (prescription, herbal, over the counter) Other medical problems (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, etc) Psychosocial (any stressors? )

Physical Examinations n n n Mental conditions Vital Signs: Bp, HR Otoscopy Ascultation of the neck for bruits Rinne Test Weber’s Test

Rinne Test

Weber’s Test

Weber and Rinne Test

n Neurologic exams Nystagmus Romberg’s Gait Dix-Hallpike Maneuver

Dix-Hallpike Maneuver

Peripheral Vertigo vs Central Vertigo Features Peripheral Vertigo Central Vertigo Conscious Unconscious Nystagmus Horizontal/rotary Vertical Related to position changing Yes No Symptoms Auditory symptoms Neurologic symptoms (aural fullness, tinnitus (disequilibrium, gait) , hearing loss)

Comparison of Common Diseases Features BPPV Meniere (Labyrinthitis) Psychogenic Central Vertigo Type of Vertigo Positional Spontaneous Variable Duration of Vertigo 1 -2 min 30 min-2 hrs Several years Several days-months Auditory symptoms (aural fullness, tinnitus , hearing loss) Palpitations, hyperventilation Neurologic symptoms (Disequilibrium, unconscious) Symptoms Nystagmus Horizontal/rotary Horizontal Vertical Dix-hallpike maneuver + -/+ - - Neurologic exam (Romberg’s sign) - - - + Treatment Repositioning Maneuver 1. Salt-restricted diets 2. Diuretics 3. Vestibular suppressants (Meclizine) 4. Surgical; Gentamycin or steroid infusion into the middle ear, sac surgery, vestibular neurectomy Anti-anxiety or Anti – depression drugs Further examinations(MRI, CT)

Peripheral Vertigo n n n n n Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: most common in adults Acute Labyrinthitis Chronic Labyrinthitis (Meniere’s Syndrome) Toxic Labyrinthitis Vestibular Neuronitis Acoustic Nerve Lesions Labyrinthine Ischemia Superior semicircular canal dehiscence Otosclerosis Trauma

Peripheral vertigo

Central vertigo n n n Brainstem Lesions Intravascular: Vertebrobasilar insufficiency Tumors Intracranial infection Demyelinating diseases: Multiple Sclerosis, Syringobulbia

Conclusions 1. History Taking 2. Physical Examinations 3. Psychogenic Vertigo must be consider 4. Labs for necessary

Tinnitus

Tinnitus n n n n Definition Classification Objective tinnitus Subjective tinnitus Theories Evaluation Treatment

Introduction n n Tinnitus -“The perception of sound in the absence of external stimuli. ” Tinnire – means “ringing” in Latin Includes buzzing, hissing, roaring, clicking, pulsatile sounds For some, an unbearable sound that drives them to contemplate suicide.

Tinnitus n n n May be perceived as unilateral or bilateral Originating in the ears or around the head First or only symptom of a disease process or auditory/psychological annoyance

Tinnitus n n 40 million affected in the United States 10 million severely affected Most common in 40 -70 year-olds Roughly equal prevalence in men and women

Classification n n Objective tinnitus – sound produced by paraauditory structures which may be heard by an examiner, often pulsatile Subjective tinnitus – sound is only perceived by the patient (most common)

Tinnitus n Pulsatile tinnitus – matches pulse or a rushing sound Possible vascular etiology n Objective or subjective n Increased or turbulent blood flow through paraauditory structures n

Objective tinnitus n Vascular (pulsatile) n n n n A/V malformations Vascular tumors Venous hum (cardiac murmurs, anemia, BIH, thyrotoxicosis, pregnancy, dehiscent jugular bulb) Atherosclerosis Ectopic carotid artery Persistent stapedial artery Vascular loops Neuromuscular (asynchronous w/ pulse) n n Palatomyclonus Stapedial and tensor tympani muscle spasm Patulous eustachian tube (nonpulsatile)

Arteriovenous Malformations n n n Congenital lesions Occipital artery and transverse sinus, internal carotid and vertebral arteries, middle meningeal and greater superficial petrosal arteries Mandible Brain parenchyma Dura

Arteriovenous Malformations n n Pulsatile tinnitus Headache Papilledema Discoloration of skin or mucosa

Vascular tumors n Glomus tympanicum Paraganglioma of middle ear n Loud pulsatile tinnitus which may decrease with ipsilateral carotid artery compression n Reddish mass behind tympanic membrane which blanches with positive pressure n Conductive hearing loss n

Vascular tumors n Glomus jugulare Paraganglioma of jugular fossa n Loud pulsatile tinnitus n Conductive hearing loss if into middle ear n Cranial neuropathies n

Venous hum n n Benign intracranial hypertension Dehiscent jugular bulb Transverse sinus partial obstruction Increased cardiac output from Pregnancy n Thyrotoxicosis n Anemia n

Benign Intracranial Hypertension n n n n Also called pseudotumor cerebri Young, obese, female patients Hearing loss Aural fullness Dizziness Headaches Visual disturbance Papilledema, pressure >200 mm H 20 on LP

Benign Intracranial Hypertension n Sismanis and Smoker 1994 100 patients with pulsatile tinnitus n 42 found to have BIH syndrome n 16 glomus tumors n 15 atherosclerotic carotid artery disease n

Benign Intracranial Hypertension n Treatment Weight loss n Diuretics n Subarachnoid-peritoneal shunt n Gastric bypass for weight reduction n

Neuromuscular Causes n Palatal myoclonus Clicking sound n Rapid (60 -200 beats/min), intermittent n Contracture of tensor palantini, levator palatini, levator veli palatini, tensor tympani, salpingopharyngeal, superior constrictors n Muscle spasm seen orally or transnasally n Rhythmic compliance change on tympanogram n

Myoclonus n Palatal myoclonus associations: Multiple Sclerosis and other degenerative neurological disorders n Small vessel disease n Brain stem tumors n n Treatments: muscle relaxants, botulinum toxin injection

Stapedius Muscle Spasm n Idiopathic stapedial muscle spasm Rough, rumbling, crackling sound n Exacerbated by outside sounds n Brief and intermittent n May be able to see tympanic membrane movement n n Treatments: avoidance of stimulants, muscle relaxants, sometimes surgical division of tensor tympani and stapedius muscles

Patulous Eustachian Tube n n n Eustachian tube remains open abnormally Ocean roar sound Changes with respiration Lying down or head in dependent position provides relief Tympanogram will show changes in compliance with respiration Associated with significant weight loss, radiation to the nasopharynx

Subjective Tinnitus n Otologic n n n Hearing loss (presbycusis, noise exposure, otosclerosis, middle ear effusion) Meniere’s disease Acoustic neuroma Ototoxic drugs or substances Neurologic n n MS Head trauma n Metabolic n n Psych n n Thyroid disorders Hyperlipidemia B 12 def Depression/anxiety Infectious n n Syphilis Meningitis

Conductive hearing loss n n Conductive hearing loss decreases level of background noise Normal paraauditory sounds seem amplified Cerumen impaction, otosclerosis, middle ear effusion, otosclerosis, perforated TM, EAC swelling are examples Treating the cause of conductive hearing loss may alleviate the tinnitus

Sensorineural hearing loss n n Indicates abnormality of the inner ear or cochlear portion of the 8 th CN NIHL(noise induced) and presbycusis most common

Other subjective tinnitus n n Poorly understood mechanisms of tinnitus production Abnormal conditions in the cochlea, cochlear nerve, ascending auditory pathways, auditory cortex Hyperactive hair cells Chemical imbalance

CNS Mechanisms n n Reorganization of central pathways with hearing loss (similar to phantom limb pain) Disinhibition of dorsal cochlear nucleus with increase in spontaneous activity of central auditory system

Neurophysiologic Model n n n Proposed by Jastreboff Result of interaction of subsystems in the nervous system Auditory pathways playing a role in development and appearance of tinnitus Limbic system responsible for tinnitus annoyance Negative reinforcement enhances perception of tinnitus and increases time it is perceived

Role of Depression n Depression is more prevalent in patients with chronic tinnitus than in those without tinnitus Folmer et al (1999) reported patients with depression rated the severity of their tinnitus higher although loudness scores were the same Which comes first, depression or tinnitus?

Ototoxic Drugs n n n Analgesic n ASA, NSAIDs Antibiotics n Aminoglycosides n Erthyromycin n Vancomycin n Chloramphenicol n Tetracycline Loop diuretics n n Chemotherapeutic agents n Cisplatin n Vincristine n Methotrexate n Bleomycin Others n Chloroquine n Heavy metals n Quinine n Heterocyclic antidepressants

Evaluation - History n n n n Careful history Quality Pitch Loudness Unilateral vs Bilateral Constant/intermittent Onset Alleviating/aggravating factors

Evaluation - History n n n n n Infection Trauma Noise exposure Medication usage Medical history Hearing loss Vertigo Pain Family history Impact on patient

Evaluation – Physical Exam n n Complete head & neck exam General physical exam Otoscopy (glomus tympanicum, dehiscent jugular bulb) Search for audible bruit in pulsatile tinnitus Auscultate over orbit, mastoid process, skull, neck, heart using bell and diaphragm of stethoscope n Toynbee tube to auscultate EAC n

Evaluation – Physical Exam n n Light exercise to increase pulsatile tinnitus Light pressure on the neck (decreases venous hum) Valsalva maneuver (decrease venous hum) Turning the head (decrease venous hum)

Evaluation - Audiometry n n n Pure tone air, bone and speech descrimination scores, tympanometry, acoustic reflexes Weber and Rinne tests Pitch matching Loudness matching Masking level

Evaluation - Audiometry n n n Vascular or palatomyoclonus induced tinnitus – graph of compliance vs. time Patulous Eustachian tube – changes in compliance with respiration Asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss or speech discrimination, unilateral tinnitus suggests possible acoustic neuroma - MRI

Laboratory studies n n As indicated by history and physical exam Possibilities include: Hematocrit n FTA-ABS n Blood chemistries n Thyroid studies n Lipid panel n B 12, zinc ? n

Imaging n n Pulsatile tinnitus Reviewed by Weissman and Hirsch (2000) Contrast enhanced CT of temporal bones, skull base, brain, calvaria as first-line study Sismanis and Smoker (1994) recommended CT for retrotympanic mass, MRI/MRA if normal otoscopy

n n n Glomus tympanicum – bone algorithm CT scan best shows extent of mass May not be able to see enhancement of small tumor Tumor enhances on T 1 -weighted images with gadolinium or on T 2 -weighted images

Glomus Tympanicum From: Weissman JL, Hirsch BE. Imaging of tinnitus: a review. Radiology 2000; 216: 343.

Glomus Tympanicum From: Weissman JL, Hirsch BE. Imaging of tinnitus: a review. Radiology 2000; 216: 343.

Imaging n Glomus jugulare Erosion of osseous jugular fossa n Enhance with contrast, may not be able to differentiate jugular vein and tumor n Enhance with T 1 -weighted MRI with gadolinium and on T 2 -weighted images n Characteristic “salt and pepper” appearance on MRI n

Glomus jugulare From: Weissman JL, Hirsch BE. Imaging of tinnitus: a review. Radiology 2000; 216: 344.

Glomus jugulare “salt and pepper appearance” From: Weissman JL, Hirsch BE. Imaging of tinnitus: a review. Radiology 2000; 216: 344.

Imaging n n Arteriovenous malformations – readily apparent on contrasted CT and MRI Normal otoscopic exam and pulsatile tinnitus may be dural arteriovenous fistula Often invisible on contrasted CT and MRI/MRA n Angiography may be only diagnostic test n

Imaging n Shin et al (2000) MRI/MRA initially if subjective pulsatile tinnitus n Angiography if objective with audible bruit in order to identify dural arteriovenous fistula n

Imaging n Acoustic Neuroma Unilateral tinnitus, asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss or speech descrimination scores n T 1 -weighted MRI with gadolinium enhancement of CP angle is study of choice n Thin section T 2 -weighted MRI of temporal bones and IACs may be acceptable screening test n

Acoustic Neuroma From: Weissman JL, Hirsch BE. Imaging of tinnitus: a review. Radiology 2000; 216: 348.

Acoustic Neuroma From: Weissman JL, Hirsch BE. Imaging of tinnitus: a review. Radiology 2000; 216: 348.

ENT Referral Collins RD. Algorithmic diagnosis of symptoms and signs: a cost-effective approach. 2 d ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003: 568 -9.

Treatments n n Multiple treatments Avoidance of dietary stimulants: coffee, tea, cola, etc. Smoking cessation Avoid medications known to cause tinnitus n n Reassurance White noise from radio or home masking machine

Treatments - Medicines n Many medications have been researched for the treatment of tinnitus: Intravenous lidocaine suppresses tinnitus but is impractical to use clinically n Tocainide is oral analog which is ineffective n Carbamazepine ineffective and may cause bone marrow suppression n

Treatments - Medicines n Alprazolam (Xanax) Johnson et al (1993) found 76% of 17 patients had reduction in the loudness of their tinnitus using both a tinnitus synthesizer and VAS (dose 0. 5 mg-1. 5 mg/day) n Dependence problem, long-term use is not recommended n

Treatments - Medicines n Nortriptyline and amitriptyline n n n SSRI’s Ginko biloba n n May have some benefit Dobie et al reported on 92 patients 67% nortriptlyine benefit, 40%placebo Extract at doses of 120 -160 mg per day Shown to be effective in some trials and not in others Needs further study Niacin

Treatments n n n Hearing aids – amplification of background noise can decrease tinnitus Maskers – produce sound to mask tinnitus Tinnitus instrument – combination of hearing aid and masker

Treatments n Tinnitus Retraining Therapy Based on neurophysiologic model n Combination of masking with low level broadband noise for several hours per day and counseling to achieve habituation of the reaction to tinnitus and perception of the tinnitus itself n

Treatments n Electrical stimulation of the cochlea Transcutaneous, round window, promontory stimulation have all been tried n Direct current can cause permanent damage n Steenersen and Cronin have used transcutaneous stimulation of the auricle and tragus decreasing tinnitus in 53% of 500 patients n

Treatments n Cochlear implants Have shown some promise in relief of tinnitus n Ito and Sakakihara (1994) reported that in 26 patients implanted who had tinnitus 77% reported either tinnitus was abolished or suppressed, 8% reported worsening n

Treatments n Surgery Used for treatment of arteriovenous malformations, glomus tumors, otosclerosis, acoustic neuroma n Some authors have reported success with cochlear nerve section in patients who have intractable tinnitus and have failed all other treatments, this is not widely accepted n

Treatments n n n Biofeedback Hypnosis Magnetic stimulation Acupuncture Conflicting reports of benefit

Conclusions n n n n Tinnitus is a common problem with an extensive differential Need to identify medical process if involved Pulsatile/Nonpulsatile is important distinction Unilateral vs Bilateral Associated hearing loss, vertigo Thorough head and neck physical exam and audiometry testing is necessary for all patients In general, tinnitus that is pulsatile, unilateral, and assoc w/ other unilateral otologic symptoms is more worrisome and should warrant ENT referral.