[Benign positional vertigo, an armchair for diagnosis and for treatment: description and significance].

Objectives: The benign positional vertigo is a very frequent pathology. It requires to establish the diagnosis, to fixe the head in some positions to get various nystagmus which are observed directly or by video-nystagmoscopy or analyzed by video-nystagmography.

Purpose: To describe the diagnostic and therapeutical interests of a special armchair, now available, whose characteristics are to be able to swivel around two axes of vertical and horizontal rotations, the patient being completely interdependent of the armchair. It thus makes it possible to place the patient's head in position wished with a high degree of accuracy and facility.

Methods: After a short description of the characteristics of armchairs classically used, the authors describe in detail this new armchair Its geometrical characteristics are reported and its capacities, like its mode of use: fixing of the patient with armchair then mobilization of the unit "armchair-patient" and setting in position of the head at the point of the space desired by the ENT.

Results: The authors report the main advantages of this armchair. It allows a great accuracy of movement given to the semicircular canals, a possible mobilization with an amplitude until there ever reached, a significant reduction of the proprioceptive entries of patient, a perfect safety of the examination, a possible mobilization of obese or arthritic patients and, finally, a very increased comfort for the patient himself. Finally future technological developments possible are brought back.

Conclusion: Thanks to the use of the armchair of mechanical assistance, the diagnosis and treatment of benign positional vertigo appear more certain, more precise and more practical at the same time for the medical doctor and the patients. A multicentric study is in process to show its interest in this pathology.