Cerebellitis, clinical case presentation

Abstract

Aims & Objectives: Introduction: Acute cerebellitis is an inflammatory disease, which occurs as a primary infectious disease, postinfectious or postvaccination disorder. Clinical recovery is usually reported in 2 to 3 months in 90% of patients. Brain MRI shows cerebellar edema.

Methods: Observational descriptive work.

Results: Case 1: 9 y.o. male patient; started with oppressive headache 10 days before admission, later adding vomits, unsteady gait and dysarthria. Admission MRI: cerebellar vermis edema without ventricular system dilation. He presented acute sensory depression secondary to intracranial hypertension. MRI showed: increased intensity of both cerebellar hemispheres with important mass effect and dilation of the supratentorial ventricular system. He evolved favorably. Case 2: 10 y.o. female patient; began 10 days before admission with oppressive headache and subsequently added vomiting. At admission manifested signs of intracranial hypertension, CT-MRI with hydrocephalus and injury in the right cerebellar hemisphere. She required external ventricular drainage, empirical antibiotic treatment and corticosteroid pulses. She evolved favorably. Case 3: 6 y.o. male patient, consulted for headache, vomiting, blurred vision and unsteady gait. CT and MRI showed cerebellar edema. He completed empirical antibiotic treatment without germ rescue and received steroid pulse therapy with favorable evolution.

Conclusions: Conclusion: Cerebellitis is an uncommon pathology and difficult to diagnose, with variable evolution, ranging from a benign self-limited process to a fulminant presentation by compression of the posterior fossa and acute hydrocephalus. That is why it constitutes a medical and surgical emergency that requires a high level of suspicion and an MRI performance