Objectives. To analyze the clinical characteristics of vestibular neuritis patients with minimal canal paresis (canal paresis<25%).Methods. Patients clinically diagnosed with vestibular neuritis and treated at our institute (n=201) underwent otoneurologicalexamination and vestibular function tests. Patients were categorized in terms of the results of caloric testing (canalparesis<25%, n=58; canal paresis≥25%, n=143). Clinical characteristics and laboratory outcomes were comparedbetween two groups.Results. Existence of underlying diseases, preceding symptoms, and direction of spontaneous nystagmus were not differentbetween the groups. The mean duration of spontaneous nystagmus was shortest in the minimal canal paresis group(P<0.001) and the direction of spontaneous nystagmus changed more frequently in this group (P<0.001) during recovery.Among the subgroup with minimal canal paresis, only 29.5% had an abnormal finding on the rotatory chairtest, as compared to 81.5% of the canal paresis group. The minimal canal paresis group showed higher sensory organizationtest scores in computerized dynamic posturography.Conclusion. Patients with minimal canal paresis (canal paresis <25%) show similar clinical manifestations as conventionalvestibular neuritis patients, but have faster recovery of symptoms and a higher incidence of recovery nystagmus. Thisfinding support that the minimal canal paresis could be considered as a milder type of vestibular neuritis.
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