Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with iron deficiency anemia

Cover Image

Cover figure: Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) device (A); normal and bilateral absent cervical VEMP tests of patients included in our study (B).

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate vestibular functions using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) in patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and investigate the early detection of potential vestibular hypofunction.
Methods. In this prospective study, the cVEMP results of 34 adult patients diagnosed with IDA and with no vestibular symptoms were compared with those of 34 audiologically healthy controls. P1-N1 latency times, interpeak amplitudes, and amplitude asymmetry rates were analysed and compared between the groups.
Results. One hundred thirty-six ears of 68 participants, 34 patients with IDA and 34 healthy controls, were included in the study. There was no significant difference in age or gender between groups (p = 0.180, p = 0.726, respectively). The absent VEMP response rate was significantly higher in the IDA group than in the control group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were determined between the IDA and control groups in terms of P1 latency, N1 latency, interpeak amplitude, or threshold values (p = 0.903, p = 0.407, p = 0.761, p = 0.729, respectively). The asymmetry rate was significantly higher in the IDA group than in the control group (p < 0.05).
Conclusions. The increase in absent VEMP response and asymmetry rates in patients with IDA indicates that peripheral vestibular hypofunction has developed in these patients.