Vestibular disorders: benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood: practice question

A ENT question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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ENT · Vestibular disorders: benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood

Sample item

A 4-year-old has repeated sudden episodes of unsteadiness lasting a few minutes, with fright, pallor and nystagmus, and recovers fully. Hearing is normal and a parent has migraine. What is the likely diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood

Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood causes brief unprovoked attacks of vertigo in young children, who appear frightened and may become pale and sweaty, with normal findings between attacks. It is considered a migraine equivalent and often evolves into migraine later. Meniere disease is rare in children and involves hearing loss.

Option by option

  • A. Vestibular neuritis

    Vestibular neuritis causes a single continuous attack lasting days after a viral illness.

  • B. Meniere disease

    Meniere disease needs fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus, and is rare at 4 years.

  • C. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

    Positional vertigo is triggered by head position changes and is uncommon in this age group.

  • D. Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (correct)

    Correct. Brief unprovoked attacks with normal hearing and a migraine family history fit this migraine-related syndrome.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More ENT questions

Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is D, Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood. Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood causes brief unprovoked attacks of vertigo in young children, who appear frightened and may become pale and sweaty, with normal findings between attacks.

Why is "Vestibular neuritis" not the answer?

Vestibular neuritis causes a single continuous attack lasting days after a viral illness.

Why is "Meniere disease" not the answer?

Meniere disease needs fluctuating hearing loss and tinnitus, and is rare at 4 years.

Why is "Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo" not the answer?

Positional vertigo is triggered by head position changes and is uncommon in this age group.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vestibular disorders: benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood in ENT. It is considered a migraine equivalent and often evolves into migraine later. Meniere disease is rare in children and involves hearing loss.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Vestibular disorders: benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood?

Learn tuning fork results and audiogram patterns by sketching them. Then use the flashcards and the other ENT questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.