Vertigo in elderly patients: a review of 164 cases in Brazil.

The author conducted a study to identify and categorize those vestibular disorders that were the most common among elderly patients at his private clinic over a 20-year period. He reviewed the records of 735 patients aged 65 to 90 years. The most common diagnosis was vertigo and/or disequilibrium, which occurred in 164 patients (22.3%). Of this group, 121 patients (73.8%) had a peripheral vestibular disorder and 43 (26.2%) had a central vestibular disorder. The characteristics of these cases are discussed.