Sonografic examination of epiaortic vessels in patients with peripheral vertigo

Abstract Introduction: To evaluate the utility of echo-color-Doppler ultrasonography (CDU)of extracranial brain-supplying vessels in patients with peripheral vertigo of unknown origin.Materials and methods: One-hundred-fifty-six patients (study group; 42 male and 114 female;mean age 61.86 14.14) and 161 patients (control group; 80 male and 81 female; mean age62.31 13.69) were prospectively evaluated with CDU of extracranial brain-supplying vessels.Plaques in common and/or internal carotid artery (CA), arterial wall intima-media thickness(IMT) of common CA and peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistive index (RI) of vertebralarteries (VA) were evaluated. Parametric (t-test) and non-parametric (ManneWhitney U-testand KolmogoroveSmirnov test) tests were applied. Logistic regression analysis was performedto provide odds ratio indicating the magnitude of risk of vertigo. Independent variables consistingof characteristics (age, sex), vascular risk factors (hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension)and CDU variables (IMT, plaque, PSV and RI of VA) were considered.Results: Plaques were found in 31 (19.8%) patients of study group and in 43 (26.7%) patients ofcontrol group. IMT > 1 mm was found in 98 (62.8%) patients of study group and in 125 (77.6%)patients of control group.Statistical tests, applied to PSV and RI, showed no significant difference(p-value >0.05). At logistic regression analysis, vertigo was associated with age, sex,hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension and IMT (p < .01) while plaque, PSV and RI ofVA were not significant factors (p > .05).Discussion: IMT is the only CDU variable significantly associated with vertigo, especially in thelower age-classes (35e45 and 45e55) of study group.