Cerebellar involvement as a rare complication of pneumococcal meningitis

A 4-year old girl with meningitis, caused by streptococcus pneumoniae, deve loped a subcoma with respiratory insufficiency, followed by a severe cerebe llar syndrome. Cerebellar involvement after regaining consciousness consist ed of a symmetrical ataxia and mutism. This mutism changed into dysarthria and finally into normal speech. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed lesions in both cerebellar hemispheres, suggesting cerebellitis. She recovered wit h prompt antibiotic treatment.