Epidemiological studies on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in Japan

In 1980, the Research Committee of Peripheral Vestibular Disorders in Japan, which is supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was founded by 24 members, from several districts in Japan. The Committee's first task was to draft the diagnostic criteria for several peripheral vestibular disorders, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and vestibular neuronitis. For the national epidemiological survey, they then collected the data on 101 cases of BPPV out of some 783 vestibular disorder patients. In addition, data on 103 patients of BPPV out of 559 vestibular disorder patients were also collected from the Neurootological Clinic of the Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital. From these epidemiological surveys, the incidence of BPPV in Japan was estimated at 10.7 per 100000 population, while that of BPPV in Toyama was estimated at 17.3 per 100000 population. The ratio of BPPV was higher in female than male patients in both surveys. The age at the onset of BPPV peaked in the fourth decade in both males and females. Compared with the other epidemiological features of Meniere's disease and sudden deafness with vertigo in the same surveys, it appeared that the characteristic features of BPPV are epidemiologically similar to those of Meniere's disease, but different from those of sudden deafness.