Co-occurrence of otologic disorders and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically investigate the co-occurrence of otologic disorders and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

DATA SOURCES

PubMed and Web of Science.

REVIEW METHODS

All original studies in English, from full-text clinical trials to case reports, involving participants ≥18 years old, were included. Two groups of article were identified: Group 1) studies reporting co-occurring otologic disorders in BPPV patients; Group 2) studies reporting co-occurring BPPV in patients with otologic disorders. The frequency of each condition was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model to estimate overall prevalence in both groups.

RESULTS

A total of 3407 studies were retrieved of which 68 articles were included in the analysis. In Group 1, 11.4% of BPPV patients (932/8157) had co-occurring otologic disorders (19 studies). The most commonly reported conditions were sudden sensorineural hearing loss (11.9%) and acute unilateral vestibulopathy/vestibular neuritis (5.0%). Meta-analyses showed pooled prevalences of 11.8% (95% CI: 3.1%- 35.7%) for sudden sensorineural hearing loss and 6.5% (95% CI: 3.7%-11.2%) for acute unilataral vestibulopathy/vestibular neuritis. In Group 2, 9.7% of patients with otologic disorders (1106/11457) had co-occurring BPPV (49 studies). Menière's disease was the most frequently reported disorder that resulted in co-occurring BPPV (10.2%). Meta-analyses showed pooled prevalences of 10.4% (95% CI: 6.2%-16.8%) for acute unilateral vestibulopathy/vestibular neuritis and 9.1% (95% CI: 4%-19.1%) for Menière's disease.

CONCLUSION

The co-occurrence of otologic disorders and BPPV are prevalent. These findings demonstrate the need for mutual screening of BPPV and otologic disorders. Furthermore, these findings might help understanding the etiologies underlying BPPV.