Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as a complication of postoperative bedrest.

Seven cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) after operation were reported, occurring between the fourth and 14th postoperative day. In three of the seven cases, the condition occurred when the patients first arose from bed after 5 to 6 days of postoperative bedrest. In two cases, BPPV occurred when patients moved their head while maintaining strict bedrest. In the other two cases, it occurred 1 to 4 days after patients had been released from bedrest. The cause of BPPV was considered to be postoperative bedrest which might have facilitated the deposition of precipitate on the cupula of the posterior semicircular canal. The prognosis was good, and all the patients recovered within 20 days.