How to Cope with Pediatric Patients Suffering from Dizziness

Dizziness in children is said to be uncommon, occurring at a frequency of about 1/100th that in adults. Until now, the most commonly reported type of dizziness is orthostatic dysregulation (OD). We examined the statistical prevalence of dizziness, and identified four common conditions, designated as VROP, that cannot be treated with knowledge of dizziness in adults alone. VROP comprises VMC (Vestibular Migraine of Childhood), RVC (Recurrent Vertigo of Childhood), OD, and PD (Psychogenic Dizziness). VMC is a pediatric version of vestibular migraine, and its diagnosis and treatment are similar to those of vestibular migraine in adults; RVC is an acute rotatory vertigo attack that occurs most frequently in children under 5 years of age and lasts from a few minutes to several hours; OD is not an otorhinolaryngological disorder, but a pediatric disorder, so collaboration with a pediatrician to manage it is important. Psychogenic gait disturbance is sometimes observed in psychogenic vertigo. This disorder requires to be managed in collaboration with a child psychiatrist. Particularly useful for the diagnosis are diaries of dizziness and headache and video recordings of nystagmus made by a parent or guardian during a vertigo attack.