Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about labyrinthitis.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero definals.com slash labyrinthitis

or in the ear, nose and throat section of the zero definals surgery book.

So let's get straight into it.

Labrynthitis refers to inflammation of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear, which includes the

semicircular canals vestibule, which is the middle section of the labyrinth, and the cochlear.

The inflammation is usually attributed to a viral upper respiratory tract infection.

Rarely labyrinthitis can be caused by a bacterial infection.

This may be an inflammatory response to a nearby infection

or the result of bacteria or bacterial toxins entering the labyrinth itself.

It's usually secondary to otitis media or meningitis.

Let's talk about the presentation.

Labyrinthitis presents with acute onset vertigo, similar to

vestibular neuronitis. Unlike vestibular neuronitis, labrynthitis can also be associated with hearing

loss and tinnitus. Patients may have symptoms associated with the causative virus, such as a cough, sore throat and block nose.

So how do you make the diagnosis? A clinical diagnosis is based on the history and examination findings.

Whenever a patient presents with vertigo, it's important to exclude a central cause of the vertigo, meaning vertigo caused by

a problem in the brain, such as a posterior circulation infarction, which is a type of stroke.

The head impulse test can be used to diagnose peripheral causes of vertigo, resulting from

problems with the vestibular system, for example,

vestibular neuronitis or labyrinthitis.

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