title: Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome After Posterior Fossa Surgery: A Report of Two Cases of Pilocytic Astrocytoma.
abstract: Cerebellar mutism is a type of syndrome including decreased speech, hypotonia, ataxia and emotional instability which occurs after posterior fossa surgery. It has been first reported by Rekate et al. and Yonemasu in 1985. It is well known that long tract signs and lower cranial nerve involvement are not seen with this syndrome and understanding is preserved. However, the pathophysiology of cerebellar mutism has not been well clarified yet. It is mainly seen in patients with medulloblastoma and brainstem involvement. In this report, we present two extraordinary cases of cerebellar mutism after posterior fossa surgery. They were considered extraordinary because their hystopathological analysis results yielded pilocytic astrocytoma which is out of the predefined risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of 2 Neurosurgery, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Burak
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.affiliation: Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of 1 Neurosurgery, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa İlker Kuntay
authors.initials: Mİ
authors.lastname: Yassa
authors.affiliation: Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of 2 Neurosurgery, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali Ender
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ofluoğlu
authors.affiliation: Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of 2 Neurosurgery, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Lütfü
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Postalci
authors.affiliation: Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of 2 Neurosurgery, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Emel
keywords: Cterebellar mutism; pilocytic astrocytoma; posterior fossa surgery