Cerebellar hemorrhage complicating a supratentorial craniotomy. A case report and review of the literature

Postoperative cerebellar hemorrhage after a supratentorial craniotomy repre sents a rare event. We report a case of a patient with a meningioma of the jugum who developed suddenly after surgery a neurological deterioration due to a cerebellar hemorrhage detected on the CT scan. An occipital craniecto my and an external ventricular drainage were performed in emergency. A comp lete neurological recovery was observed after surgery. Nineteen similar other cases are found in the literature. Per- and postoper ative high blood pressure, lowered intracranial pressure and mispositioning of the head during surgery could be at the origin of the hemorrhage. Size of the hemorrhage, time between diagnosis and treatment represent two progn ostic factors. All patients, who present a neurological deterioration in po stoperative course, must have CT scan including posterior fossa.