Diagnostik und Therapie bei Schwindel

Background: Vertigo and dizziness belong to the most common leading symptoms in clinical practice. Their differential diagnosis, however, often poses a challenge. Objective: This work aims to provide evidence-based and practice-oriented recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of vertigo and dizziness in primary care. Materials and methods: The consensus statement of an interdisciplinary working group following a national survey among Swiss primary care physicians and neurotology specialists (neurologists, otorhinolaryngologists) is presented. The associated literature search in PubMed was conducted up to October 2024. Results and conclusion: Structured history taking and clinical neurotological examination form the basis for the differential diagnosis of the various acute (AVS), episodic (EVS), and chronic (CVS) vestibular syndromes (AVS: e.g., stroke or acute unilateral vestibulopathy; EVS: e.g., benign paroxysmal positional vertigo [BPPV], Menière's disease, vestibular migraine, vestibular paroxysmia; CVS: e.g., bilateral vestibulopathy, persistent postural perceptual dizziness). The present paper covers the following topics: i) "red flags" for a potentially dangerous cause in patients with acute vertigo/dizziness/gait and balance disorders; ii) essential clinical neurotological examination steps; iii) diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers for posterior and lateral canal BPPV; iv) the most important therapeutic strategies for the vestibular syndromes named above; and v) the top 10 recommendations regarding history taking, diagnosis, and treatment of vertigo and dizziness in clinical practice. This review aims to serve as a clinical companion for physicians of all specialties dealing with the primary diagnosis and treatment of vertigo and dizziness.