いわゆるVestibular Neuronitisの臨床像—自験例7症例を中心として

CLINICAL PICTURE OF SO-CALLED VESTIBULAR NEURONITIS

　I．はじめに

　めまいを主訴とする疾患は数多く知られている。とりわけ難聴，耳鳴などの蝸牛症状はまつたく認めず，急性の激しいめまい発作がその主症状とされている"いわゆるvestibular neuronitis"は病態的にも臨床的にも興味深い疾患である。今回われれれは昭和44年より48年の5年間にvestibular neuronitisと診断した7症例の特徴的症状をまとめて報告すると同時に，特にその中の1例は発症第2日目より2年半にわたりその臨床経過を詳細に観察し得たので，その代表例として症例を報告する。あわせてわれわれの自験例より得たvestibular neuronitisの病態について文献的考察をまじえて検討した。

　A number of syndromes that have been reported in the past which are presently known as vestibular neuronitis with vertigo as their chief symptom. The present report consists of 7 patients with vestibular neuronitis treated at the ENT clinic of Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine during the period of the recent 5 years.

　All patients suffered severe vertigo but no cochlear signs and symptoms were found. In all cases the vertigo was associated with febrile illnesses or infections of the upper respiratory tract. The vestibular function appeared to be affected in all cases ; six patients presented spontaneous nystagmus, and unilateral canal paresis while one was affected bilaterally. The hearing test and other neurological test were normal. The prognosis in these cases were considerably good ; all cases were completely cured.