Horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: effectiveness of two different methods of treatment.

The aim of this study is to compare the results obtained using 2 methods of treatment for horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (HSC-BPPV): the barbecue maneuver + forced prolonged position (FPP) versus the Gufoni maneuver. In a randomized prospective clinical trial, we recruited 147 patients affected by HSC-BPPV. The primary outcome was the absence of vertigo and nystagmus upon application of the supine roll test during the follow-up examination. A statistical evaluation was performed in order to assess whether any parameters (e.g. age, duration of nystagmus and symptoms) could influence in any way the results obtained with the 2 methods of treatment. One hundred and three of the 147 patients affected by HSC-BPPV had the geotropic form and 44 had the apogeotropic type. We were able to transform 29 cases of HSC-BPPV from apogeotropic to geotropic. Finally, we obtained a group of 112 patients who were randomized either to the barbecue + FPP procedure (54 patients) or to the Gufoni maneuver (58 patients). The most evident result is the higher percentage of success (statistically significant) with the Gufoni maneuver at the first session of treatment (86 vs. 61%). The final control showed that 44 out of 54 (81%) patients treated with the barbecue maneuver + FPP were symptom free compared to 54 out of 58 (93%) treated with the Gufoni maneuver. Both the barbecue maneuver + FPP and the Gufoni maneuver are valid methods for treating HSC-BPPV (geotropic forms). However, our results also indicate that the Gufoni maneuver has a significant advantage: the success rate shown at the follow-up, although without statistical significance, is undoubtedly higher (93 vs. 81%). This result, together with the fact that it is very easy to perform and that patient compliance is better, make the Gufoni maneuver the method of choice in HSC-BPPV treatment.