Nokea
A patient presents with sudden onset of severe vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and nystagmus. The patient reports a recent upper respiratory tract infection. Which of the following conditions is most likely responsible for this presentation?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The sudden onset of severe vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and nystagmus in a patient with a recent upper respiratory tract infection is highly suggestive of vestibular neuritis. Vestibular neuritis is typically caused by inflammation of the vestibular nerve, often following a viral infection such as an upper respiratory tract infection. This condition presents with acute, severe, continuous vertigo without associated hearing loss. The presence of nystagmus, along with the absence of hearing loss, helps differentiate vestibular neuritis from Meniere's disease (which typically presents with episodic vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus) and acoustic neuroma (which presents with gradual onset of symptoms including unilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and imbalance). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) typically presents with brief episodes of vertigo triggered by specific head movements, rather than the continuous vertigo seen in this case.