Mutism after surgical removal of a cerebellar tumor: Two case reports

The authors report two pediatric cases of transient mutism that occurred af ter surgical removal of a medulloblastoma and a pilocytic astrocytoma of th e vermis and discuss the pathophysiology of this syndrome. Transient mutism has been described for the first time quite recently, even in cases where these tumors were also surgically removed before. Perhaps improvement in im aging and in surgical techniques made neurosurgeons more daring and some in terventions that were judged impossible are routinely performed today. If t his is the case, postoperative transient cerebellar mutism might be conside red the price that must be paid in order to cure more patients with cerebel lar tumors.