Posterior Circulation Ultrasound Assessment of Patients with Isolated Central Vertigo versus Ischemic Posterior Circulation Stroke: A Comparative Study

Vertigo is the illusory sense of movement, while unsteadiness is the feeling of being unstable while seated, standing, or walking. These symptoms represent 4% of the access to the Emergency Department (ED) and they can be related to both benign diseases of the inner ear or serious central nervous system diseases, including posterior circulation stroke.

The aim of the study was to compare between carotid duplex findings of patients with isolated central vertigo and vertigo due to posterior circulation stroke for better diagnosis and seeking for earlier detection of stroke.

This was a cross sectional comparative study that included about 56 patients. The patients who presented to the emergency department with vertigo in Ain Shams University hospitals from December 2022 to February 2024.

Our study showed that RI and PI, which are the most frequently used CD parameters to determine the blood flow resistance, were markedly higher for patients with posterior circulation CVS than in patients with isolated central vertigo.

Those findings denote that atherosclerosis has a major role in CVS etiology, and thus CD can be a useful, rapid and reliable tool that can aid in screening and prediction of population at high risk of CVS.