[Surgical treatment of cerebellar infarction: Five case studies].
OBJECTIVE
Surgical management of cerebellar infarction remains controversial. What surgical procedure should be performed when a patient presents neurological deterioration? When is the right moment to operate? Different treatments were proposed including decompressive suboccipital craniotomy, external ventricular drainage, or endoscopic third ventriculostomy.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed five cases of cerebellar infarction treated with suboccipital craniotomy, excision of necrotic tissue, and duraplasty within a period of six months.


RESULTS
The five patients were evaluated with regard to presenting symptoms, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) before surgery, timing of surgery, computed tomographic scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neurological improvement, and outcome within a follow-up period of one year. Four patients made a good recovery, one patient died three days after surgery without neurological improvement.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that decompressive suboccipital craniotomy may be an effective solution for good recovery if the patient is operated early, at the moment of the neurological deterioration.
Lungu
G
G
Service de neurochirurgie, centre hospitalier Louis-Pasteur, Hôpitaux Civils de Colmar, 39, avenue de la Liberté, 68024 Colmar cedex, France. gabriel.lungu@ch-colmar.rss.fr
Mortada
J
J
Stilhart
B
B
D000368:Aged; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies