Evaluation of the dizzy patient.

The differential diagnosis of dizziness is difficult, yet challenging. There continues to be a need for improvement in assessment and evaluative procedures for patients with symptoms of dizziness. The otologist must exclude a wide variety of potential disorders which could be sources of the symptoms. The key to a well-made differential diagnosis is a very carefully taken, thorough, medical history, and the integration of that history with the physical examination, the audiometry, and the vestibular evaluation.