Drop Attacks and Vertigo Secondary to a Non-Meniere Otologic Cause

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Abstract
SUDDEN DROP-ATTACK falls without loss of consciousness have been noted in a small percentage of patients with Meniere disease (endolymphatic hydrops).1-4 Meniere disease is an inner ear disorder characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and episodic vertigo. Tumarkin1 described patients with Meniere disease who have sudden falls that occur without warning, without loss of consciousness, and without any concomitant neurologic symptoms or sequelae. The patients typically report the sensation of being pushed, and they fall in the same direction with repeated falls.3,4 In some cases, patients report a sudden tilt of the environment simultaneous with the fall.3,4 Because surgical ablation of the vestibular periphery cures Tumarkin falls, these falls must originate from the vestibular periphery.2,4