前庭不张症（vestibular atelectasis，VA）是指由于椭圆囊、壶腹和半规管的膜迷路塌陷引起的前庭功能受损及内耳对声音/压力异常敏感的临床实体。其病因复杂，包括原发性和继发性；起病隐匿，包括单侧型和双侧型，其中后者中部分病例可能被诊断为双侧前庭病。VA的临床症状包括前庭功能减退的表现，如振动幻视、慢性不稳以及声音/压力诱发的眩晕等，可能是慢性眩晕的潜在原因。VA的临床诊断主要依赖影像学检查，并结合临床表现及前庭功能检查综合评估，同时需要排除其他引起慢性眩晕的疾病。本文综述了VA的病因、病理学机制、临床表现、辅助检查和治疗策略等，以提高临床工作者对该实体的认识水平。.
No actionable change for most clinicians — this case report and review raises awareness of a rare vestibular entity; audiologists encountering unexplained vertigo unresponsive to standard workup may flag this as a differential, but definitive diagnostic or treatment protocols are not established.
Vestibular atelectasis is an underrecognized cause of vertigo that may be missed in standard vestibular assessments, and greater clinician awareness could improve diagnostic accuracy for patients with unexplained dizziness.
- 01Vestibular atelectasis involves collapse of the membranous labyrinth in the inner ear's balance organs.
- 02Affected structures include the utricle, ampulla, and semicircular canals.
- 03The condition is rare and can cause atypical vertigo that may be misdiagnosed.
- 04The article covers etiology (causes), subtypes, and symptom profiles.
- 05Case report level evidence; limited generalizability to broader clinical practice.
Vestibular atelectasis is a rare vertigo entity caused by collapse of the membranous labyrinth structures including the utricle, ampulla, and semicircular canals.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42420035
- DOI
- 10.3760/cma.j.cn115330-20250712-00367.
- Journal
- Chinese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Patients presenting with vestibular atelectasis (rare vertigo entity)
- Intervention
- Clinical description and review of vestibular atelectasis
Primary outcomes
Characterization of etiology, subtypes, and symptoms of vestibular atelectasis