Usefulness of thermography for differentiating Wallenberg's syndrome from noncentral vertigo in the acute phase

This study used thermography to measure the BST of patients with NCV and acute WS to determine the effectiveness of BST to differentiate between the conditions. Forty-eight consecutive patients diagnosed with NCV whose BST was measured using thermography during a hospital visit or admission were enrolled. The left and right BST of four sites (face, trunk, and upper and lower limbs) were measured and compared with obtained BST of nine patients with WS.RESULTS: Twenty-two patients had lateral differences in BST ≥ 0.5°C, three with ≥1.5°C, and none with ≥2.5°C. Only one patient with NCV had lateral differences in BST at two or more ipsilateral sites. When WS differentiated from NCV, a left-right difference ≥0.5°C in two or more ipsilateral sites had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 98%, and ≥1.0°C had a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 98%.DISCUSSION: Acute WS can be differentiated from NCV through BST and the number of sites with lateral differences via thermography, even in rooms where conditions are unregulated.PMID:38468476 | DOI:10.1080/01616412.2024.2328482
Source: Neurological Research - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research