Cerebellar infarction in the young.
OBJECTIVE
Ischemic cerebrovascular disease in children and young adults usually affects the anterior circulation.


METHODS
We describe two cases of cerebellar infarction in the territory of vertebral artery supply, associated with physical exertion, in a young adult and in a child. Review of 31 previous cases of cerebellar infarction occurring in the first 2 decades of life demonstrated a mostly obscure causation; where a likely cause was found, trauma was most frequent. In 12 of the 31 patients, a vertebral artery (usually the left) was occluded. Patients were sometimes predisposed to such occlusions by subluxation between the first and second cervical vertebrae, allowing abnormal neck movements that can cause arterial injury and thromboembolism. Some of these cerebellar infarcts, like those of our patients, have followed physical exertion.


CONCLUSIONS
Cerebellar infarction can be life-threatening, but half of the patients, including ours, have had complete or near-complete recovery.
Rosman
N P
NP
Department of Pediatrics, New England Medical Center Hospitals, Boston, MA 02111.
Wu
J K
JK
Caplan
L R
LR
D000328:Adult; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed