Traumatic midline cerebellar contusion in 2-year-old male child—case report and review of literature

• Main Authors: Gohar Javed, Sanaullah Bashir, Yousuf ul Islam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2018-06-01
• Series: Egyptian Journal of Neurosurgery
• Subjects: Cerebellar contusion; Pediatric trauma; Brain injury
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41984-018-0007-6

Abstract Background Cerebellar contusion accounts for 0.54% of traumatic brain injuries. They present with a variety of symptoms like ataxia, dysmetria, dysdiadokinesia, and vertigo. CT scan is the gold standard investigation for diagnosing acute cerebellar contusions. Due to the low incidence of this disease, there are no medical guidelines available for the management of cerebellar contusions. Case report A 2-year-old child presented to the emergency department with altered level of consciousness. Computed tomography scan of the brain showed midline cerebellar contusion. He was managed conservatively with the main focus on lowering intracranial pressure. Result Cerebellar contusion can be managed conservatively with close monitoring. However, more data is needed to study its behaviour and management. Conclusions The patient had an excellent response to treatment and was discharged within a few days further highlighting the role of medical management in the treatment of patients with cerebellar contusions.