Cerebellar Infarct Accompanied by Acute Hydrocephalus: A Case Report of 1-Year Follow-up in Rural Neurosurgical Practice

Cerebellar infarctions account for about 2-3% of all ischemic strokes, and acute hydrocephalus due to brainstem compression or compression of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows is a rare manifestation from a stroke of the posterior circulation. The condition is considered one of the most life-threatening complications in cerebellar infarct due to the possibility of transforaminal and upward transtentorial herniation. The management of patients with cerebellar infarct is challenging, because the patient usually presents with non-specific signs and symptoms until the patient loses consciousness. Standard management should be provided by a stroke unit team or neuro-intensive care unit. The precision timing of treatment and evaluation with close observation is crucial, even when there is no life-threatening condition at initial presentation, but sometimes it is difficult to fulfill in rural areas due to the substandard facilities and lack of resources. Here we report a case of cerebellar infarct with massive edema in association with acute hydrocephalus with the progressive deterioration that happened in a rural area. A 59-year-old male patient complained about an episode of sudden headache which was followed by dizziness, vomiting, and loss of balance. A head non-contrast CT scan in the emergency room (ER) is performed 4 hours after ictus, showed a slightly hypodense lesion in the left cerebellum, without accompanying edema and hydrocephalus. The patient was then managed conservatively in the ward. In the next 36 hours, his consciousness level was reduced and a head CT scan evaluation showed the development of massive edema of cerebellar infarct with acute hydrocephalus. The patient underwent an emergency surgical procedure with suboccipital decompressive craniectomy (SDC) with strokectomy, expanded duraplasty, and ventricular drainage (ventriculoperitoneal shunt). Satisfactory results with rapid resolution of GCS was seen at daily follow-up after surgery. A 1-year follow-up also showed remarkable outcomes.

Clinical and Radiological Profile of Patients Presenting With Isolated Acute Cerebellar Infarct: A Single Tertiary Center 3 Years Retrospective Study From Central Stroke Unit, Muscat, Oman

Introduction: Cerebellar infarct can present with a broad spectrum of clinical and radiographic features. Recognizing this spectrum is extremely important for prompt diagnosis and to avoid morbidity and mortality. Objective: To identify the clinical and radiological profile of patients presenting with isolated acute cerebellar infarct. Methods: Retrospective study carried out at the central stroke unit of Oman over 27 months. Only patients with isolated acute cerebellar infarct confirmed by either magnetic resonance imaging or computerized tomography (CT) were included in this study. A total of 76 cases were identified. Results: Isolated cerebellar infarct constituted 4% of all acute ischemic strokes treated during the study period. Gait imbalance and difficulty in articulating were seen in 30/48 (63%) and 12/48 patients (25%), respectively. Ataxia and nystagmus were the main signs seen 30/48 (63%) and 10/48 (21%), respectively. Large artery atherosclerosis comprised 15/48 (31%), of the underlying etiology. Normal and complete posterior circulation was seen only in 6/36 (17%). Unilateral or bilateral hypoplasia or absence of posterior communicating artery (PCOM) were the commonest variants seen in our patients. The cerebellar arterial territory most commonly involved in this series was posterior inferior cerebellar artery (58%). Infarct extension was seen in 10/48 patients (21%), with 4/10 (40%) having bilateral absent PCOM followed by 2/10 (20%) normal posterior circulation. Conclusions: Acute gait imbalance and difficulty in articulating can be the only presenting symptoms in isolated cerebellar infarct. Plain CT in the acute phase can miss such infarcts in up to 46% cases. The majority of cases had an incomplete anatomy of the posterior circulation.

A Fibromuscular Dysplasia Clinical Tetrad of Coronary Artery Dissection, Cardiogenic Shock, Carotid Dissection, and Stroke

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a serious and underreported clinical entity strongly associated with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). The female predominance of FMD may predispose many women to coronary artery dissection or other similar vascular pathologies. We present a case of a young woman who presented with a clinical tetrad of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, cardiogenic shock requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, internal carotid dissections, and subacute cerebellar infarct secondary to underlying FMD. The patient’s clinical course and vascular pathology are discussed. A review of the relevant literature of previously published similar cases, the incidence of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, and issues in the clinical management of spontaneous coronary artery dissection are also included.

DWI cerebellar infarct volume as predictor of outcomes after endovascular treatment of acute basilar artery occlusion

BackgroundPreprocedural predictors of outcome in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO) who have undergone endovascular treatment (EVT) remain controversial. Our aim was to determine if pre-EVT diffusion-weighted imaging cerebellar infarct volume (CIV) is a predictor of 90-day outcomes.MethodsWe analyzed consecutive MRI-selected endovascularly treated patients with ABAO within the first 24 hours after symptom onset. Successful reperfusion was defined as a modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score of 2b–3. Using the initial MRI, baseline CIV was calculated in mL on an apparent diffusion coefficient map reconstruction (Olea Sphere software). CIV was analyzed in univariate and multivariable models as a predictor of 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0–2) and mortality. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the optimal cut-off was determined by maximizing the Youden index to evaluate the prognostic value of CIV.ResultsOf the 110 MRI-selected patients with ABAO, 64 (58.18%) had a cerebellar infarct. The median CIV was 9.6 mL (IQR 2.7–31.4). Successful reperfusion was achieved in 81.8% of the cases. At 90 days the proportion of patients with mRS ≤2 was 31.8% and the overall mortality rate was 40.9%. Baseline CIV was significantly associated with 90-day mRS 0–2 (p=0.008) in the univariate analysis and was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.54, p=0.001). The ROC analysis showed that a CIV ≥4.7 mL at the initial MRI was the optimal cut-off to discriminate patients with a higher risk of death at 90 days (area under the ROC curve (AUC)=0.74, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.87, sensitivity and specificity of 87.9% and 58.1%, respectively).ConclusionsIn our series of MRI-selected patients with ABAO, pre-EVT CIV was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality. The risk of death was increased for baseline CIV ≥4.7 mL.

Case Report: Obsessive compulsive disorder in posterior cerebellar infarction - illustrating clinical and functional connectivity modulation using MRI-informed transcranial magnetic stimulation

Objectives: We describe atypical and resistant neuropsychiatric clinical manifestations in a young male with posterior cerebellar gliosis. We also attempt to test the mediating role of the cerebellum in the clinical presentation by manipulating the frontal-cerebellar network using MRI-informed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Methods: A case report of a young adult male describing obsessive-compulsive symptoms, probably secondary to an infarct in the cerebellar right crus II, combined with an examination of behavioral and functional connectivity changes following TMS treatment. Results: Obsessions, compulsions, and pathological slowing were observed in the background of a posterior cerebellar infarct, along with impairments in vigilance, working memory, verbal fluency, visuospatial ability, and executive functions, in the absence of any motor coordination difficulties. These symptoms did not respond to escitalopram. MRI-informed intermittent theta-burst stimulation delivered to the pre-supplementary motor area identified based on its connectivity with the cerebellar lesion in the crus II resulted in partial improvement of symptoms with enhanced within and between-network modularity of the cerebellar network connectivity. Conclusion: We illustrate a case of OCD possibly secondary to a posterior cerebellar infarct, supporting the role of the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of OCD. Functional connectivity informed non-invasive neuromodulation demonstrated partial treatment response. A seriation technique showed extended connectivity of the cerebellar lesion regions following the neuromodulatory treatment.