Dizziness can arise from diverse causes. According to reports, 20%-80% of patients presenting with vertigo have psychogenic vertigo. Diagnosis of psychogenic vertigo is not always easy. Until date, there is no objective examination tool for the diagnosis of psychogenic vertigo. Therefore, it is important for physicians to evaluate patients presenting with vertigo both physically and psychologically in order to make a definitive diagnosis of psychogenic vertigo. Posturography is the conventional method for evaluating the postural perturbation in patients with vertigo or dizziness, and there are many ways of analyzing the results of posturography. One such method is with the use of the “gravichart,” and a characteristic finding in patients with psychogenic vertigo is a teardrop-shaped “gravichart.” However, the detailed characteristics of patients showing the teardrop-type “gravichart” are still unknown. In this study, we attempted to identify the clinical importance of the teardrop-shaped “gravichart” in patients with psychogenic vertigo. While many patients with a teardrop-shaped “gravichart” are diagnosed as having psychogenic vertigo, not all patients with psychogenic vertigo show a teardrop-shaped “gravichart”. Thus, while a teardrop-shaped “gravichart” may be useful for the diagnosis of psychogenic vertigo, it is necessary to clarify what types of patients with psychogenic vertigo show a teardrop-shaped “gravichart” in a future study.
