Contributor: Don Stader, MD

Educational Pearls:

• It can be difficult to distinguish between central and peripheral causes of vertigo. Cerebellar stroke should be considered with any dizzy patient.
• Signs and symptoms that suggest stroke as the cause of vertigo include: ataxia, cranial nerve deficits, and rapid onset of symptoms
• When cerebellar stroke is being considered, MRI is the imaging modality of choice since CT does not adequately visualize the posterior fossa.

References

Kim J, Lee H. Vertigo due to posterior circulation stroke. Semin Neurol. 2013 Jul;33(3):179-84. doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1354600. Epub 2013 Sep 21.