title: Cerebellar herniation and infarction as a complication of an occult postoperative lumbar dural defect.
abstract: A patient who underwent lumbar spine surgery sustained an occult dural injury. After unrecognized suction drainage of cerebrospinal fluid through a surgical drain, caudal herniation of the cerebellum with superior cerebellar infarction developed. This mechanism should be considered in patients in whom acute mental status changes develop after spinal surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance 90509, USA.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Koci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D015170:Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013396:Suction; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014696:Ventriculostomy