Neurosurgery
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Review Case Reports
Cerebellar hemorrhage after spinal surgery: report of two cases and literature review.
Cerebellar hemorrhage remote from the site of surgery may complicate neurosurgical procedures. We describe our experience with two cases of cerebellar hemorrhage after spinal surgery and review the three cases previously reported in the literature to determine whether these cases provide insight regarding the pathogenesis of remote cerebellar hemorrhage. ⋯ Cerebellar hemorrhage must be considered in patients with unexplained neurological deterioration after spinal surgery. Dural opening with loss of cerebrospinal fluid has occurred in every reported case of cerebellar hemorrhage complicating a spinal procedure, supporting the hypothesis that loss of cerebrospinal fluid is central to the pathogenesis of this condition. Because remote cerebellar hemorrhage can occur after procedures with the patient in the supine, sitting, and prone positions, patient positioning seems unlikely to play a causative role in its occurrence.