The possible contribution of angiitis to the onset of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the oxidative stress and the angiitis in patients with BPPV.

Method: Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) within 14 days of onset were analyzed. The level of diacron reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM) and circulating soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), were evaluated. As a treatment the patients were taught to perform the Brandt-Daroff exercise at home by themselves. The prognosis of BPPV, which is measured as the time until the disappearance of positional nystagmus by a physician during the outpatient visit each week, the relation among the level of oxygen metabolites, vascular molecule and the duration until remission were analyzed.

Results: The patients who required longer time for the disappearance of positional nystagmus showed high d-ROM and VCAM levels, whereas those who required shorter time for remission showed lower d-ROM and VCAM levels.

Conclusion: There is an increased expression of VCAM-1 and d-ROM confirming the existence of an angiitis and supporting the vascular involvement in BPPV. The identification of the high levels of d-ROM and VCAM-1 can open the way to selective pharmacological treatments able to correct the oxidative stress and activation of endothelial cells.