By episode duration

• Auditory symptoms present

1. Seconds: perilymphatic fistula
2. Hours: endolymphatic hydrops (Ménière's disease, syphilis)
3. Days: labyrinthitis, labyrinthine concussion (head trauma)
4. Months: acoustic neuroma, ototoxicity

• Auditory symptoms absent

1. Seconds: positioning vertigo (cupulolithiasis), vertebrobasilar insufficiency, cervical vertigo (head-extension vertigo), diplopia
2. Hours: recurrent vestibulopathy (Ménière's disease without auditory symptoms), vestibular migraine
3. Days: vestibular neuronitis, head trauma
4. Months: vertebrobasilar insufficiency, arteriovenous malformation, brainstem or cerebellar tumor, cerebellar degeneration, multiple sclerosis, vertebrobasilar migraine

Drugs

• Anticonvulsants (eg, phenytoin), antibiotics (eg, aminoglycosides, doxycycline, metronidazole), hypnotics (eg, diazepam), analgesics (eg, aspirin), alcohol

• Syncope
• Spells (nonspecific)
• Ataxia