The aim of theworkwas to present the experience in functional diagnostics of balance in the way it has been performed at the Clinic of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery in the Teaching Hospital in Prague - Motol. Functional diagnostics is made at three levels. The first level is a common otolaryngological examination, the second one represents neurootological examination and the third level is a complete neurootological examination using various devices. This procedure has been applied in 267 patients with balance disorders at the age of 17 to 81 years, the mean age being 47.4 years, at the Clinic of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery in the period of January 2000 till October 2003. The largest group, 54.3% of patients, included patients with peripheral type of vestibular disorder. Patients withacute peripheral, mostly unilateral, defect represented 19.5%, being dominated by patients with the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (33 patients). The remaining 34.8% of patients included those with chronic peripheral defect. Central defect was diagnosed in 17.6% of patients of the cohort. Signs of damage in both parts of vestibular system were observed in 12% of patients. Patients without any kind of vestibular system disorder constituted 16.1% of patients. Functional diagnostics of balance disorders classified into three levels is considered useful from the standpoint of availability, technical requirements and diagnostic contribution by the authors. If individual steps are performed adequately, preliminary conclusions can bed drawn rapidly and therapy of advanced level can be initiated. If the defect must be quantified, the complete diagnostic protocol should be performed.

        Key words: vertigo, diagnostics, neurootology.