めまい患者の予後—その1．自覚症状を中心に

PROGNOSIS OF THE PATIENTS WITH VERTIGO

　I．はじめに

　めまい・平衡障害の診断は最近の神経耳科学の進歩により，かなり向上しつつあるが，その予後に関してはまとまつた報告がきわめて少ない。しかしながら日常多くのめまい患者を診断し，治療している臨床医にとつてめまい患者は将来どのような経過をとるのか，その予後について見通しを立てることは，治療方針を検討し患者の不安や社会復帰について相談にのつたりするために重要なことである。そこで今回われわれは8年ないし12年経過しためまい患者を対象に手紙でアンケート調査を行ない，その自覚症状の経過について検討し若干の知見を得たのでここに報告し，諸先生方のご批判を仰ぎたい。

　A set of questionaires were issued to 482 patients who had suffered attacks of vertigo form 8 to 12 years previously, for subsequent complaints. Responses were obtained from 180 patients. The results are as follows:

　1) Six patients had died from varied causes in the meantime.

　2) In 153 patients (87.9%) the vertigo had improved.

　3) In 97 patients out of 123 who complained of tinnitus, the symptoms were either, unchanged or worse.

　Gleaning from these results, the authors conclude that, prognosis of vertigo may be considered as good, but that of hearing disturbances and tinnitus are not quite satisfactory.