Selective Asymmetry of Ocular Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential in Patients with Acute Utricular Macula Loss.

OBJECTIVES We retrospectively evaluated a chart review of 3,525 patients evaluated for any acute disturbance. A total of 1,504 patients with acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) received an instrumental vestibular assessment within 72 h from the onset of the symptoms evaluated using simultaneously a combination of ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMPs), cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMPs), video head-impulse test (vHIT), and subjective visual vertical (SVV) were included in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 41 patients with AVS that showed a normal horizontal canal function tested with vHIT, a normal cVEMP function, unilaterally reduced or absent oVEMP n10, and an altered SVV were enrolled. RESULTS We found that although these patients referred acute vertigo and presented spontaneous nystagmus, they showed physiological values of vHIT and a normal saccular function, as shown by symmetrical cVEMPs. CONCLUSION Our findings support the hypothesis that a percentage of patients evaluated during an AVS using an instrumental vestibular assessment could present selective utricular macula dysfunction.