The Early Diagnosis and Treatment in Cerebellar Infarction

ABSTRACT

Cerebellar infarction may be rapidly fatal when the patient is not diagnosed and treated promptly. Since 1980, we have encountered five patients of cerebellar infarction and here we analysed the cases and reviewed the literature. All patients were treated by means of the posterior fossa decompression with mortality rate of 20%. By the mode of onset and progression of symptoms and signs, the patient of cerebellar infarction could be divided into two groups;The patients who took the benign course showed the initial symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and lack of balance, and were usually recovered spontaneously with the conservative treatment. On the contrary, the patients who took the progressive course showed rapidly progressive deterioration of the initial symptoms and signs and mental state. They could be recovered by the early posterior fossa decompression. The emphasis should be given to the early diagnosis and treatment for the purpose of recover in the patient of cerebellar infarction.