CEREBELLAR HEMORRHAGE COMPLICATING TEMPORAL LOBECTOMY - REPORT OF 4 CASES

Four cases of cerebellar hemorrhage complicating temporal lobectomy ar e presented. A case of postoperative hemorrhage located remote from th e operative site as a complication of intracranial surgery is rare, es pecially when it involves the cerebellum after supratentorial cranioto my. In a review of the literature, the authors identified only 12 such cases, none of which was described in the setting of a temporal lobec tomy. The possible etiologies for cerebellar hemorrhage in the four ca ses presented are examined, including the role of epidural suction dra ins and the position of the head during surgery. The mechanism of cere bellar hemorrhage in this series of patients is probably multifactoria l. Special attention throughout the perioperative course must be given to hemodynamic, anatomical, and physiological factors that together c an affect the patient negatively.