MUTISM IN AN ADULT FOLLOWING HYPERTENSIVE CEREBELLAR HEMORRHAGE - NOSOLOGICAL DISCUSSION AND ILLUSTRATIVE CASE

Mutism after cerebellar injury has been associated with tumors, hemorr hage, and surgery of midline cerebellar structures. Literature review identified 54 cases, primarily in children after surgical splitting of the inferior vermis. We present a 47-year-old who developed transient mutism after cerebellar hemorrhage. This represents the first report of transient mutism in an adult with neither tumor nor brainstem infar ction and documents the importance of cerebellar structures for initia tion and production of speech in adulthood. This case further differs from those previous because of the long mute period and the subsequent return of continued ataxic and dysarthric speech. (C) 1997 Academic P ress.