Serge Makarenko1, Navneet Singh2, Patrick J McDonald3,2. 1. Department of Surgery, Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia, 899 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada. smakarenko@gmail.com. 2. Division of Neurosurgery, BC Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 3. Department of Surgery, Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia, 899 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Transient cerebellar mutism has been well recognized in literature as a complication of posterior fossa tumor resection. It is marked by profound impairment of fluency, articulation, and modulation of speech, irritability and autistic features and typically resolves within days to months. Underlying pathophysiology is debated, but currently unknown. METHODS: We present a case of a child with similar clinical findings after cerebellitis, demonstration of diffuse cerebellar signal changes, swelling, and protruding tonsils at the level of foramen magnum. DISCUSSION: To support the hypothesis that this clinical syndrome may occur in a non-surgical context, we present a review of literature of non-surgical transient cerebellar mutism.
INTRODUCTION: Transient cerebellar mutism has been well recognized in literature as a complication of posterior fossa tumor resection. It is marked by profound impairment of fluency, articulation, and modulation of speech, irritability and autistic features and typically resolves within days to months. Underlying pathophysiology is debated, but currently unknown. METHODS: We present a case of a child with similar clinical findings after cerebellitis, demonstration of diffuse cerebellar signal changes, swelling, and protruding tonsils at the level of foramen magnum. DISCUSSION: To support the hypothesis that this clinical syndrome may occur in a non-surgical context, we present a review of literature of non-surgical transient cerebellar mutism.
Authors: Peter Mariën; Herman Ackermann; Michael Adamaszek; Caroline H S Barwood; Alan Beaton; John Desmond; Elke De Witte; Angela J Fawcett; Ingo Hertrich; Michael Küper; Maria Leggio; Cherie Marvel; Marco Molinari; Bruce E Murdoch; Roderick I Nicolson; Jeremy D Schmahmann; Catherine J Stoodley; Markus Thürling; Dagmar Timmann; Ellen Wouters; Wolfram Ziegler Journal: Cerebellum Date: 2014-06 Impact factor: 3.847