Traumatic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo caused by cannon fire.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vestibular vertigo. BPPV is characterised by brief episodes of vertigo that occur with movement of the head. Almost a quarter of cases of BPPV have a traumatic cause, but no cases of traumatic BPPV due to indirect trauma were found in the English literature. A 37-year-old woman presented for episodic vertigo that occurred with position change, which started after she was exposed to cannon fire. She had a positive hallpike which confirms the diagnosis of BPPV. Her BPPV was successfully treated using the Epley manoeuvre. The diagnosis of BPPV is made from a careful history and physical exam. Traumatic BPPV can occur with indirect trauma such as being downrange during cannon fire. The treatment of both idiopathic BPPV and traumatic BPPV is with canalith repositioning procedures. © BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.