Labyrinthitis

Examinations and Tests

Labyrinthitis is diagnosed with a medical history and a physical examination. If you have symptoms of vertigo (spinning or whirling sensation), your health professional will determine whether it is from inflammation of the labyrinth and, if so, whether you have recently had a viral or bacterial infection.

Your health professional may perform a Dix-Hallpike test, which can offer clues about the cause of vertigo. In particular, your health professional will look for signs of an ear infection, which can cause labyrinthitis.

If the cause of your vertigo is unclear, your health professional may want to do more tests. Such tests can help determine whether your vertigo is caused by problems in the inner ear or brain.¹ Brain-related causes of vertigo (such as stroke, head injury, brain tumours, or multiple sclerosis) are less common.

Additional tests that may be done to rule out other causes of your vertigo include:²

• Electronystagmogram, which uses electrodes to detect eye movements. It looks for characteristic eye movements that occur when the inner ear is stimulated. The pattern of eye movements can indicate the location of the cause of the vertigo, such as the inner ear or the central nervous system.
• Imaging tests, such as computed tomography of the head and face (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging of the head (MRI), which may be done if the vertigo could be caused by a brain problem. Access to MRI scanners is not available in all areas; if you need an MRI scan, you may need to travel to a regional centre.
• Hearing tests, although these tests are of limited use in finding the cause of vertigo. Hearing tests measure the ability of sound to reach the brain. A specific type of hearing test, called an auditory brain stem evoked potential (ABEP) study, may be done to determine whether the nerve from the inner ear to the brain is working correctly.

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Author:	Douglas Dana Sabra L. Katz-Wise	Last Updated: September 7, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology
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