JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Observing eye movements during episodic vertigo attacks is crucial for accurately diagnosing vestibular disorders. In clinical practice, we commonly encounter cases without vertiginous/dizziness symptoms or clear abnormal findings during outpatient examination.

Objective:

To report a case in which a novel device integrating an infrared camera with 3D-printed goggles was useful in diagnosing vestibular disorders.

Methods:

We developed a device that integrates a commercially available mini-infrared charged-coupled device (CCD) camera with 3D-printed goggles, enabling patients to record their eye movements during vertigo attacks at home using a smartphone and to share the recordings with their physicians.

Results:

A man in his 40s with episodic vertigo visited our hospital. Initial assessments using infrared video Frenzel glasses showed no spontaneous or positional nystagmus, and oculomotor-vestibular function tests revealed no abnormalities. Based on the videos recorded by the patient using our system, geotropic direction-changing positional nystagmus was observed, and lateral semicircular canal-type benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was diagnosed. Treatment with the Gufoni maneuver alleviated the vertigo and nystagmus.

Conclusions:

Our system aids in the diagnosis of vestibular disorders by enabling the capture of symptomatic eye movements outside of clinical settings. Additionally, it shows promise for use in telemedicine and emergency situations, offering a practical solution for remote monitoring and timely diagnosis.