Cerebellar haemorrhage after non-traumatic evacuation of supratentorial chronic subdural haematoma: report of two cases

Summary Cerebellar haemorrhage is an unusual complication of supratentorial neurosurgery. Several causative pre-operative factors and medical risk factors may predispose patients to cerebellar haemorrhage, however its etiology remains still unclear. Only two case reports have previously described the occurrence of cerebellar haemorrhage after subdural haematoma evacuation by burr-hole trepanation. We present two patients with this rare postoperative complication of minor supratentorial neurosurgery and possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are discussed. Our two cases support the post- rather than per-operative pathogenetic hypothesis. Although the complication is associated with a significant morbidity and mortality, most cases follow a benign course.     

Posterior-Fossa Haemorrhage After Supratentorial Surgery – Report of Three Cases and Review of the Literature

Summary  We present clinical details of three patients with posterior fossa haemorrhage after supratentorial surgery and discuss possible pathomechanisms of this rare complication. All patients were males of advanced age. Two patients presented with a history of hypertension. In all patients the occurence of haemorrhage was associated with loss/removal of large amounts of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) either intra-operatively (one patient undergoing aneurysm surgery) or postoperatively (all three patients: drainage of subdural hygromas or chronic subdural haematomas in two, external ventricular drainage in one patient). Treatment consisted in haematoma evacuation and/or external ventricular drainage. Two patients died, one patient recovered completely.  Although haematomas distant from a craniotomy site are a well known entity, a review of the literature identified only 25 published cases of posterior fossa haemorrhage after supratentorial procedures in the CT era. Most often disturbances of coagulation, positioning of the patient and episodes of hypertension have been associated with this complication. Only one author described the occurence of a haemorrhage after drainige of a supratentorial hygroma. We suggest that the loss of large amounts of CSF intra-operatively and postoperatively may lead to parenchymal shifts or a critical increase of transmural venous pressure with subsequent vascular disruption and haemorrhage.     

Remote cerebellar haemorrhage after lumbar spine surgery: case report

Remote cerebellar haemorrhage (RCH) is a well-described complication of supratentorial surgical procedures with an incidence ranging between 0.2 and 4.9 %, but is a rare complication of spinal surgery. We report a case of RCH in a 65-year-old woman who showed sudden mental deterioration 48 h after lumbar spinal surgery, which was complicated by incidental dural tearing with minimal CSF loss. Brain CT scan revealed hypodense areas compatible with acute infarction involving mostly the left cerebellar hemisphere. No cerebral bleeding was observed. MRI was also performed revealing small cerebellar areas of acute infarction mainly relating the vermis and the left postero-inferior cerebellar hemisphere with haemorrhagic transformation and mass effect in the posterior fossa producing acute hydrocephalus. Haematoma removal was initially attempted by means of a suboccipital craniotomy. An external ventricular derivation was placed in a second procedure 24 h later due to the persistence of ventricular dilatation. At discharge the patient was only showing a slight dysmetria with the fine motor skills of hands and fingers. All cases of RCH after spinal surgery reported in the literature are invariably associated to iatrogenic dural tearing; although CSF loss seems to play the key role in the pathogenesis of this rare complication, the exact pathophysiology of this condition still remains undetermined.     

Compression of the internal jugular vein by the transverse process of the atlas as the cause of cerebellar hemorrhage after supratentorial craniotomy.

BACKGROUND: The cerebellar hemorrhage reported in numerous cases after supratentorial craniotomy has uniformly exhibited the characteristics of hemorrhage associated with venous infarction rather than arterial bleeding. The cause has remained obscure, although previous reports suggested that the cause may be obstruction of flow in the internal jugular vein immediately below the base of the skull. METHODS: The microsurgical anatomy of 36 internal jugular veins in the upper cervical region were defined in adult cadaveric specimens using 3-40x magnification with special attention to the relationship of the vein to the atlas. RESULTS: In every specimen, the posterior wall of the internal jugular vein rested against the transverse process of the atlas as the vein descended immediately below the jugular foramen. In 14 of 36 specimens, the transverse process indented the posterior wall of the vein, causing the vein to be slightly or moderately angulated as it descended across the anterior surface of the transverse process. Three veins were severely kinked as they descended across the transverse process of the atlas. CONCLUSIONS: Obstruction of flow in the internal jugular vein at the site where the vein descends across the transverse process of the atlas is a likely cause of the venous hypertension that has resulted in the cerebellar hemorrhage reported in numerous cases after supratentorial craniotomy. An examination of the biomechanics of the region confirms that turning the head to the side opposite a supratentorial craniotomy and extending the neck, common practices with unilateral supratentorial craniotomy, further aggravates the angulation and obstruction of the internal jugular vein at the transverse process of C1 on the side ipsilateral to the craniotomy.     

Cerebellar hemorrhage after supratentorial craniotomy

BACKGROUND: Cerebellar hemorrhage following supratentorial craniotomy is a very seldom described but serious complication. The present study evaluates the significance of presurgical and surgical factors that may predispose patients to these bleeding episodes. METHODS: The data of 52 cases of cerebellar hemorrhage following supratentorial craniotomy, 9 from our records and 43 from the literature, were analyzed with regard to various variables. RESULTS: The findings suggest that this clinical picture is unrelated to age, previous arterial hypertension, inherent or induced coagulopathies, type of primary underlying lesion, intraoperative positioning of the patient, type of anesthesia, or intracranial hypotension and its sequels. It entails significant morbidity, with one third of the patients left with cerebellar dysfunction or in a dependent state, and carries a mortality of about 25%. CONCLUSION: Not one single presurgical or surgical factor can reliably predict the occurrence of cerebellar hemorrhage after supratentorial craniotomy, and the etiology of this entity still remains unclear. The most important keys to minimize the hazardous sequelae are to be aware of this potential complication and to diagnose it early.     

Cerebellar hemorrhage complicating a supratentorial craniotomy. A case report and review of the literature

Postoperative cerebellar hemorrhage after a supratentorial craniotomy represents a rare event. We report a case of a patient with a meningioma of the jugum who developed suddenly after surgery a neurological deterioration due to a cerebellar hemorrhage detected on the CT scan. An occipital craniectomy and an external ventricular drainage were performed in emergency. A complete neurological recovery was observed after surgery. Nineteen similar other cases are found in the literature. Pre- and postoperative high blood pressure, lowered intracranial pressure and mispositioning of the head during surgery could be at the origin of the hemorrhage. Size of the hemorrhage, time between diagnosis and treatment represent two prognostic factors. All patients, who present a neurological deterioration in postoperative course, must have CT scan including posterior fossa.     

Cerebellar hemorrhage arising postoperatively as a complication of supratentorial surgery: a retrospective study

OBJECT: Postoperative cerebellar hemorrhage as a complication of supratentorial surgery is an increasingly recognized clinical entity. So far, it has remained unclear whether this complication constitutes an intraoperative or postoperative event. The observation of such cases prompted the authors to analyze retrospectively their series of supratentorial craniotomies. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of cerebellar hemorrhage and its temporal relationship to supratentorial surgery. METHODS: The authors reviewed discharge notes and reports on postoperative computerized tomography (CT) scans for 1650 patients who had undergone supratentorial craniotomy between January 1998 and February 2001. The retrospective study led to the identification of 10 patients who had sustained cerebellar hemorrhage as a complication of supratentorial surgery. Because it was routine to perform CT scanning following craniotomy, an early CT scan obtained within the 1st postoperative hour (mean 24 minutes after wound closure) was available in eight of the 10 patients. In seven of these patients no hemorrhage was found immediately after surgery, and in only one patient was there the suspicion of cerebellar hemorrhage. In the whole series of 10 patients, cerebellar hemorrhage was detected during the later postoperative course, after a mean interval of 7 hours and 35 minutes (range 1 hour and 49 minutes-144 hours) following surgery. The incidence of cerebellar hemorrhage was 0.6% of all patients who underwent supratentorial surgery. Among patients suffering from epilepsy the incidence was 4.6%, and in those patients who underwent temporal lobe resection it was 12.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The authors have demonstrated that cerebellar hemorrhage as a complication of supratentorial surgery arises not as an intraoperative event, but as a postoperative event. Resective nontumorous temporal lobe procedures place patients at particular risk for this complication. Evidence suggests that the complication might be precipitated by postoperative suction drainage.     

Infratentorial hemorrhage following supratentorial surgery]

Hemorrhage in regions remote from the site of initial intracranial operations is rare, but does occur. We report three cases of cerebellar hemorrhage that developed after supratentorial surgery, all of which had similar clinical findings and CT images. The first case was a 37-year-old man with a craniopharyngioma in the suprasellar lesion. Partial removal of the tumor was performed through frontal craniotomy and the translaminaterminals approach. A large quantity of cerebospinal fluid (CSF) was suctioned from the third ventricle during the operation, resulting in marked brain shrinkage. The second and third cases were 34- and 51-year-old women with unruptured right middle cerebral aneurysms. Clipping of the aneurysms through the pterional approach was performed in both cases. In the second case, CSF was suctioned in large quantity from the carotid and prechiasmal cistern at the operation, resulting in marked brain shrinkage. In the third case, however, only a small volume of CSF was suctioned from the carotid and prechiasmal cistern during the operation, and no marked brain shrinkage was observed. CT scan showed that the hematomas were located mainly in the subdural or the subarachnoid spaces over the cerebellar hemisphere and partially extending into the cerebellar cortex. The mechanism of cerebellar hemorrhage in these series of patients was thought to be multifactorial. The possible etiology for cerebellar hemorrhage in the three cases presented was examined, including the role of CSF suction during surgery and disturbance of venous circulation in the posterior fossa. Suction of the CSF may cause intracranial hypotension. Further reduction of intracranial pressure leads to an increased transluminal venous pressure. There was no episode of hypertension or disturbed blood coagulation during or after the operation. The preoperative angiogram also revealed no abnormality at the region of the posterior fossa. Neuroimaging of infratentorial hemorrhage after supratentorial craniotomy is obviously different from that of hypertensive cerebellar hemorrhage. From the shape or extension of the hemorrhage, the main vessels of hemorrhage are the superior vermian vein and their tributaries damaged by stretching and tearing of these vessels. These vessels are not demonstrable in the angiogram, therefore there is no evidence for this hypothesis and the etiology is still unclear. There is no doubt, however, that there was a disturbance of venous circulation in this complication. We would like to emphasize the possibility of this complication. Patients who show signs of difficulty in awaking from anesthesia or the development of new neurological deficits not attributed to direct operative procedure after supratentorial craniotomy must be evaluated early, with adequate imaging including the posterior fossa.     

Remote cerebellar haemorrhage after placement of an external ventricular drainage for acute hydrocephalus: A case report

Introduction

Remote cerebellar haemorrhage (RCH) is a rare complication following a craniotomy. This generally benign phenomenon is an identifiable complication of supratentorial craniotomies and should not be mistaken with other pathologies. The most common presenting symptom is a decrease in the level of consciousness but in some cases the RCH may be asymptomatic and accidentally discovered in follow-up CT scans.

Is Chiari I malformation in the aged initiated by mechanical factors? Report of three cases.

Three cases in which the signs and symptoms of Chiari I malformation were induced and worsened after the occurrence of supratentorial mass lesions are reported. The symptoms improved markedly after removal of the supratentorial lesions in these cases. In the first case, a meningioma in the right parietal region coexisted with Chiari I malformation. Although the cerebellar ataxia and nystagmus disappeared after tumor removal, decompressive surgery for the malformation was performed because of upper cervical nerve symptoms and the patient recovered completely. In the second case, the symptoms first occurred after a car accident, and a computed tomographic scan revealed not only a subdural hematoma, but also tonsillar herniation due to Chiari I malformation. After evacuation of the hematoma and decompressive surgery on the craniospinal junction, the symptoms disappeared. In the third case, the symptoms of malformation developed gradually with depression and gait disturbance. A meningioma in the left frontal region coexisted with Chiari I malformation. Although the symptoms improved remarkably after tumor removal, decompressive surgery on the craniospinal junction was performed because of upper cervical nerve symptoms, and the patient recovered completely. These clinical findings indicate that a supratentorial mass lesion may provoke the symptoms of Chiari I malformation in the aged.     

Cerebellar haemorrhage and tension pneumocephalus after resection of a Pancoast tumour

Summary We present an unusual case of cerebellar haemorrhage followed by tension pneumocephalus several days after thoracotomy for resection of a Pancoast tumour. The postoperative course of the 32-year-old patient was complicated by a cerebellar haemorrhage and hydrocephalus caused by compression of the fourth ventricle. Immediate surgical evacuation of the haemorrhage and placement of an external ventricular drain was performed. Respirator ventilation maintaining a continuous positive airway pressure was required. Following weaning and extubation the patient rapidly deteriorated and became comatose. A cranial CT scan revealed a dilated ventricular system filled with air, and air in the subarachnoid space. Recovery of consciousness was observed after aspiration of intracranial air through the ventricular drainage. Recurrent deterioration of consciousness after repeated air aspiration indicated rapid refilling of the ventricles with air.The patient underwent emergency surgical re-exploration of the thoracic resection cavity: dural lacerations of the cervico-thoracic nerve roots C8 and Th1 were identified. Subarachnoid-pleural fistula, cerebellar haemorrhage and tension pneumocephalus after discontinuation of continuous positive airway pressure respiration are unusual complications of thoracic surgery. We discuss the putative pathomechanisms and present a brief review of the literature.     

Postoperative intracranial haemorrhage: a review

Postoperative haemorrhage (POH) is one of the most serious complications of any cranial neurosurgical procedure and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The relative paucity of work investigating this postoperative complication prompted us to undertake a review of the literature, focussing on demographic, clinical, and surgical risk factors. A literature search was undertaken using Ovid MEDLINE (1950–2009) using keywords including craniectomy, craniotomy, neurosurgery, intracranial, reoperation, repeat craniotomy, postoperative, haemorrhage, haematoma, and bleeding. The rates of POH following intracranial procedures reported in the literature vary greatly, and meaningful comparison is difficult. We defined postoperative haemorrhage as that following craniotomy, which is clinically significant and requires surgical evacuation. Risk factors include pre-existing medical comorbidities including hypertension, coagulopathies and haematological abnormalities, intraoperative hypertension and blood loss, certain lesion pathologies including tumours, chronic subdural haematomas, and deficiencies in haemostasis. We conclude by providing recommendations for clinical practice based on the literature reviewed to aid clinicians in the detection and avoidance of POH.     

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage after single burr hole drainage of chronic subdural hematoma of the elderly

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage is a usual complication after supratentorial craniotomy. Especially, only several cases have been reported regarding the occurrence of remote cerebellar hemorrhage after burr hole drainage for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). In this paper, we present an elder patient with this rare postoperative complication. A 73-year-old man presented with dysarthria and right hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a left chronic subdural hematoma. Hematoma drainage through a single burr hole was perfomed. About 3 hours after the surgery, the patient became restless and presented nausea and dizziness with a relatively large amount of drainage of hematoma. CT revealed resolution of the subdural hematoma and bilateral cerebellar hemorrhage appearing as "zebra sign". Magnetic resonance angiography and 3D-CT angiography showed the normal structure of posterior circulation in both the arterial and venous phases. The remote cerebellar hemorrhage was suspected to have happened as a result of overdrainage of hematoma. Finally, he was discharged without any neurological deficits. Although remote cerebellar hemorrhage after drainage through a burr hole for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma is a rare complication, it is necessary to be aware of the possibility of such a complication after supratentorial surgery.     

Multiple postoperative intracerebral haematomas remote from the site of craniotomy

A postoperative haemorrhage is a common and serious complication of a neurosurgical procedure. It usually occurs at the site of the surgery, but on occasion a postoperative haematoma is found at a distance from the previous craniotomy. Multiple postoperative haemorrhages are extremely rare. We report the case of a 63-year-old woman, operated on for the removal of a supratentorial astrocytoma, who developed in the early post-operative period multiple bilateral intracerebral haematomas without involvement of the surgical bed.     

Retrospective analysis of effects and complications in cases treated with endoscopic evacuation of intracerebral hemorrhage

We described our experience of 22 cases treated with endoscopic evacuation of intracerebral hematoma, including 16 putaminal, 3 thalamic, and 1 cerebellar hemorrhages. All endoscopic procedures were performed under local anesthesia. A rigid-rod endoscope and a suction device attached was introduced through a transparent sheath into the hematoma cavity. Putaminal hemorrhage was sufficiently evacuated (56-100%), but thalamic hemorrhage was insufficiently removed (less than 40%). In 3 cases, postoperative CT demonstrated enlargement of the hematoma after the endoscopic procedure. In one case, postoperative rebleeding was recognized on a postoperative follow-up CT scan. In 2 cases, uncontrollable arterial bleeding occurred during the endoscopic procedure, followed by craniotomy and removal of the hematoma under a microscope. Endoscopic hematoma evacuation should be an efficient procedure for intracerebral hemorrhage after a secure method of hemostasis during the endoscopic evacuation process has been developed.     

Simultaneous supra- and infratentorial hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage

Multiple intracerebral hemorrhage may occur as rebleeding at the site of the previous lesion or in other places. However, multiple intracerebral hemorrhage occurring simultaneously in the supra-and infratentorial regions is rare. We experienced 9 such cases between May 1976 and December 1989. The clinical symptoms, CT findings and outcome of our cases and of 4 cases which were previously reported in the literature are reviewed in this paper. Out of 13 cases, 11 patients had cerebellar hemorrhage, and the others had pontine hemorrhage in the infratentorium. Among the supratentorial lesions, 11 involved hemorrhage in the putamen or the thalamus, and the others were in the subcortical region. There were no characteristic initial symptoms or neurological signs which suggested that hemorrhage had occurred in both the supra-and infratentorial regions. The only methods by which we could recognize this exceptional situation were the CT scan and MRI scan. The outcome in those patients whose initial neurological grading (NG) was 1 to 3 was good with conservative therapy or surgical treatment. On the other hand, the outcome in patients whose initial NG was 4 or 5 was very poor no matter what treatment was used. As far as surgical treatment is concerned, we believe that hematoma evacuation is necessary when the cerebellar hematoma is bigger than the supratentorial hematoma.     

Cerebellar hemorrhage after supratentorial surgery for treatment of epilepsy: report of three cases.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: We report three cases of cerebellar hemorrhage complicating supratentorial craniotomies for the treatment of epilepsy. In a literature review, we identified only four similar cases of cerebellar hemorrhage after temporal lobectomy for the treatment of epilepsy. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND RESULTS: Three young and otherwise healthy patients underwent frontal, occipital, and temporal resections for the treatment of refractory epilepsy. The hemorrhage manifested as peduncular tremor, ataxia, and decerebrate posturing presenting early in the postoperative period. The diagnosis was established by computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Benign outcomes were observed for all patients. CONCLUSION: Based on the available data, it is our opinion that brain dislocation resulting from excessive intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid drainage is a possible mechanism for this rare complication of supratentorial craniotomy. The overdrainage seems to be less hazardous when the procedure is performed for the removal of space-occupying mass lesions. In contrast, the resection of nonexpanding tissues, such as in lobectomies for the treatment of epilepsy, may be an additional risk factor, because the incidence of this complication seems to be higher in these situations.     

Indications for surgical treatment of cerebellar haemorrhage and infarction

Summary This report summarizes the outcome of 56 patients with cerebellar lesions of vascular origin, 40 patients with cerebellar infarction, and 16 with spontaneous cerebellar haemorrhage. All patients had computerized tomography: occlusive hydrocephalus was diagnosed in 75% of patients with cerebellar haemorrhage and in 23% with cerebellar infarction.Nine out of 10 patients survived after early surgical evacuation of the haematoma and 4 of them recovered completely. Two patients underwent only external ventricular drainage (EVD), one died after 2 days, and the other recovered with a moderate deficit. Three of 4 medically treated patients died within one week; all had developed occlusive hydrocephalus. The fourth medically treated patient recovered completely; consciousness had never deteriorated nor had occlusive hydrocephalus developed.Among 40 patients with cerebellar infarction, 13 developed progressive deterioration of consciousness; 7 of them underwent decompressive craniectomy of the posterior fossa and survived. One patient had only external ventricular drainage and died. Four out of the 5 medically treated patients died during the acute phase.From these observations and several reports in the literature, it is concluded that both cerebellar haemorrhage and infarction should be operated on as soon as progressive deterioration of consciousness develops. This occurs more frequently in patients with cerebellar haemorrhage than with cerebellar infarction. Individual decisionmaking in each case necessiates intensive neurosurgical observation.     

Prospective study of awake craniotomy used routinely and nonselectively for supratentorial tumors

OBJECT: The authors prospectively assessed the value of awake craniotomy used nonselectively in patients undergoing resection of supratentorial tumors. METHODS: The demographic features, presenting symptoms, tumor location, histological diagnosis, outcomes, and complications were documented for 610 patients who underwent awake craniotomy for supratentorial tumor resection. Intraoperative brain mapping was used in 511 cases (83.8%). Mapping identified eloquent cortex in 115 patients (22.5%) and no eloquent cortex in 396 patients (77.5%). RESULTS: Neurological deficits occurred in 89 patients (14.6%). In the subset of 511 patients in whom brain mapping was performed, 78 (15.3%) experienced postoperative neurological worsening. This phenomenon was more common in patients with preoperative neurological deficits or in those individuals in whom mapping successfully identified eloquent tissue. Twenty-five (4.9%) of the 511 patients suffered intraoperative seizures, and two of these individuals required intubation and induction of general anesthesia after generalized seizures occurred. Four (0.7%) of the 610 patients developed wound complications. Postoperative hematomas developed in seven patients (1.1%), four of whom urgently required a repeated craniotomy to allow evacuation of the clot. Two patients (0.3%) required readmission to the hospital soon after being discharged. There were three deaths (0.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Awake craniotomy is safe, practical, and effective during resection of supratentorial lesions of diverse pathological range and location. It allows for intraoperative brain mapping that helps identify and protect functional cortex. It also avoids the complications inherent in the induction of general anesthesia. Awake craniotomy provides an excellent alternative to surgery of supratentorial brain lesions in patients in whom general anesthesia has been induced.     

Traumatic epidural haematoma of the posterior fossa in childhood: 16 new cases and a review of the literature

A series of 16 children (nine males, seven females) with traumatic epidural haematoma of the posterior fossa (TEHPF) is presented. All patients had a history of mild to moderate trauma to the occiput. The causes were falls in 15 and traffic accident in one case. Four of the 16 cases had depressed fractures of the occipital bone. Surgical intervention was performed in all cases. In 14 patients the outcome was good, one patient had moderate disability and one died. Our study revealed that early diagnosis and urgent surgical intervention may give the patient a chance of total recovery and craniotomy with haematoma evacuation is an appropriate surgical technique as in the case of supratentorial extradural hematoma.