Abstract

Abstract
Background: To describe a rare case of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) related to allergic otitis.
Case Report: A 38-year-old woman presented with consistent positional vertigo as aggravation of her otitis media and externa. She exhibited positional vertigo like usual BPPV, but persistent geotropic nystagmus was observed. The duration of nystagmus was more than 2 minutes. Her vertigo symptoms were repetitive and each vertigo attack started when her otitis media and externa worsened. She was difficult to treat with usual therapy such as repositioning maneuver or antivertigo drugs. She had some allergy to pollen and her ear symptoms worsened during the seasonal pollen dispersal. Therefore, there might be some relation between her allergy and positional vertigo. This case might be classified as secondary BPPV and we tried to control her allergic otitis media and externa. After taking pranlukast for the treatment of her allergy, her vertigo symptoms were improved.
Conclusions: Her BPPV might be induced by her allergic otitis media and externa. We should consider unusual etiology when we encounter persistent BPPV resistant to normal therapy.

Keywords: Pranlukast, Otitis media, otitis externa, allergy, BPPV