Brain MR Imagings Finding in Patients with Central Vertigo

PURPOSE: To investigate brain lesions and their locations in patients with central vertigo, as seen on MRimaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed MR images of 85 patients with central type vertigodiagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms and vestibular function test (VFT), and analyzed lesions and theirlocations. Those located along the known central vestibular pathway were included in our study. RESULTS: In 29 of85 patients (34%), lesions considered to be associated with central vertigo were detected on MR imaging. Theseincluded infarction (18 patients), hemorrhage (5), tumor (2), cavernous angioma(1), cerebellopontine anglecyst(1), tuberous sclerosis(1) and olivopontocerebellar atrophy(1) ; they were located in the parietal lobe(6patients), the lateral medulla(5), the pons(5), the middle cerebellar peduncle(4), the corona radiata(3), and thecerebellar vermis(3). Thirty-eight cases showed high signal intensity lesions in deep cerebral matter, the basalganglia, and pons but these were considered to be unrelated to central vertigo. CONCLUSIONS: MR imaging could bea useful tool for the evaluation of patients with central vertigo.