Different forms of dizziness occurring after cochlear implant.

Dizziness after cochlear implant (CI) was studied in a series of 94 consecutive adult patients receiving a cochlear implant, 46 (49.0%) of whom experienced dizziness post-operatively. In 29 patients, post-operative dizziness occurred soon after surgery and subsided within one month. Dizziness of the continuous type, lasting more than 6 months, was a complaint in only two patients. In addition to these already known forms of dizziness, spells of vertigo occurring later than one month after cochlear implant were experienced by 15 patients (delayed-V). The spells of delayed-V occurred suddenly and persisted for several hours. Moreover, 85.7% of delayed-V patients complained of hearing and tinnitus abnormalities during these spells. The clinical features of delayed-V were similar to those in patients with Meniere's disease. The preoperative bithermal caloric test showed a significantly higher response for the delayed-V group than the other groups (ANOVA: P < 0.05) in terms of slow phase eye velocity of caloric nystagmus. These findings suggest that inner ear lesions due to cochlear implant surgery develop gradually. Similarities in clinical features between delayed-V and Ménière's disease indicate the presence of labyrinthine hydrops.