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Management of Acute Cerebellar Stroke

Acute cerebellar infarction or hemorrhage may initially manifest in a clinically indolent manner only to later deteriorate into a life-threatening neurologic catastrophe. At the other end of the spectrum, some patients with cerebellar stroke may present in a moribund comatose state. In both patient groups, it is often unclear at what point surgical intervention should be considered either to prevent further neurologic deterioration or to try to salvage a meaningful neurologic recovery.

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 Brief Review in Cerebellar Stroke

The main symptoms were dizziness, nausea and vomiting, gait instability, headache. CT has low sensitivity for infarctions of the posterior fossa. If suspicion of infarction is high, MRI/diffusion weighted imaging sequences should be obtained.

Articles of Interest

Cerebellar infarction

Many of the symptoms of cerebellar infarction are non-specific, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, unsteadiness, and headache, and the clinical diagnosis relies on a focussed neurological examination and a reasonable index of suspicion. Examination findings include incoordination, ataxia, and horizontal nystagmus. Patients may also present with altered conscious state or coma.

Cerrebellar Stroke Stories

A cerebellar stroke is one of the less common types of strokes. It occurs when a blood vessel is blocked or bleeding, causing complete interruption to a portion of the cerebellum. This type of stroke typically affects only one side or section of the cerebellum. It’s also referred to as cerebellar stroke syndrome.

Guide to Cerebellum Stroke — Cauѕes, After Effects, and Recoveгy

Most commonly, cerebellar strokes result in problems with coordination and ataxia. Cerebellar strokes are less common than other types of strokes. It is estimated that cerebellar strokes account for 1.5-10% of all strokes but evidence suggests that deaths related to cerebellar strokes range anywhere between 23-38%.

Jerry Grillo’s Story: Surviving and Recovering from a Cerebellar Stroke

Cerebellar strokes account for only about 10 percent of all strokes and are not easy to diagnose. They’re often mistaken as migraines, gastritis, meningitis or even inner ear infections. Without a quick and accurate diagnosis, cerebellar strokes can be severely debilitating — even life-threatening.

Misdiagnosis of Cerebellar Infarcts and Its Outcome

Cerebellar infarction, a rare category of stroke, is often misdiagnosed but not given much importance in the available literature. Its presentation overlaps with symptoms of other neurologic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and systemic conditions and therefore is nonspecific.

Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Cerebellar Infarction

Cerebellar infarction is an important cause of acute neurologic disease and accounts for 2%–3% of the 600,000 ischemic stroke cases annually in the United States.1 Delayed or missed diagnosis of cerebellar infarction may result in serious morbidity and mortality due to hydrocephalus, mass effect, and brain stem compression. Misdiagnosis also delays detecting the underlying cause of brain ischemia such as cardiac disorders and vascular occlusive lesions within the intracranial and extracranial circulation, leaving patients at continued risk for further strokes.

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StatPearls

A cerebellar infarct (or cerebellar stroke) is a type of cerebrovascular event involving the posterior cranial fossa, specifically the cerebellum. Impaired perfusion reduces oxygen delivery and causes deficits in motor and balance control. In the case of hemorrhagic events, bleeding can directly damage tissue and worsen these deficits. Of all brain strokes, Cerebellar strokes account for 1% - 4%.