Abstract
1) A statistical observation was performed on 389 selected cases out of those who visited the Tokyo University Hospital complaining of vertigo, during the period of years, from 1953 to 1955.
i) Preference of the vertiginous attacks was found among the 20-30 years agegroup, in the morning or evening, and during the winter season, Particularly, meteological observation revealed a close correlation between the attacks and passages of the front.
ii) Statistical observation on the results of the results of the vestibular functional tests was performed in expectation of the possibility of simplifying the test procedures. ocedures. The tests were divided into three groups:(a) Simple tests of disturbances of equilibrium and coordination. (b) Inspection of spontaneous, positional and positioning nystagmus. (c) Observation on caloric and rotatory nystagmus.Percentage of the positive results obtained in either the (a) or (b) procedure was only 50%, in (a)+(b) 70%, and in (a)+(b)+(c) 90%. These results would indicate that the caloric or rotatory test reveals latent pathologic changes.
2) Clinical courses of the patients (244 cases selected out of ca. 1, 000) were followed up for the last 10 years. As a result, the patients in the meridian of life (3rd to 4th decades of age) showed more difficulties in being relieved of their vertiginous attacks than the younger or the older patients. This tendency appeared to be was pronounced in females than in males. Unexpectedly as many as fifty percent of the patients who visited the Hospital four years before, were found to be still suffering from a “chronic vertiginous condition, ” in spite of various sorts of conservative treatments.
