A patient with long-standing Meniere's disease presents with sudden falls without loss of consciousness or vertigo. These episodes are called:

• A Vestibular migraine attacks
• B Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo episodes
• C Tumarkin's otolithic crisis (drop attacks) ✓
• D Perilymph fistula events

Explanation

Tumarkin's otolithic crises (drop attacks) are sudden falls without warning, without vertigo, and without loss of consciousness, occurring in patients with Meniere's disease. They result from sudden utricular or saccular dysfunction causing abrupt loss of postural tone. They are dangerous due to fall-related injury risk and are an indication for ablative therapy (labyrinthectomy, gentamicin transtympanic injection) when medical management fails. They are NOT BPPV (positional), not vestibular migraine, and not perilymph fistula.

Reference: Dhingra Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 7th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.