Cerebellar hemorrhage after supratentorial burr hole drainage of a chronic subdural hematoma

Hippokratia 2011; 15 (4): 370-372

C. Kollatos, D. Konstantinou, S. Raftopoulos, G. Klironomos, L. Messinis, P. Zampakis, P. Papathanasopoulos, V. Panagiotopoulos

Abstract

Cerebellar hemorrhage is an unusual, but increasingly recognized complication after supratentorial surgery. Even rarer are the cases of cerebellar hemorrhage after supratentorial burr-hole drainage of a chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). The pathophysiology of this rare complication still remains unclear. Hypertension and overdrainage of cerebrospinal fluid seem to be causative factors of postoperative cerebellar hemorrhage. The most important key to minimize this hazardous sequel is to be aware of this potential complication and its pathogenetic mechanisms. We report our case of a 43-year old man who developed cerebellar hemorrhage after burr hole trephination for supratentorial CSDH.