Cerebellar venous infarction in chronic suppurative otitis media. A case report with review of four other cases.

BACKGROUND Cerebellar venous infarction is a rare condition. Thus far only four cases have been reported in the literature. We recently encountered a patient with chronic suppurative otitis media complicated by cerebellar venous infarction. The features of cerebellar venous infarction in the other four cases are also reviewed. CASE DESCRIPTION A 20-year-old man presented with clinical features suggestive of chronic suppurative otitis media. Computed tomographic scan of the brain revealed left mastoiditis with cholesteatoma and moderate communicating hydrocephalus. The patient was subjected to left radical mastoidectomy, and an attico-antral cholesteatoma was removed. Subsequently the patient developed clinical features suggestive of cerebellar abscess. A repeat computed tomographic scan revealed normal posterior fossa. Four-vessel angiography revealed left sigmoid and lateral sinus thrombosis and nonopacification of the left-sided cerebellar veins. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a venous infarct in the left cerebellar hemisphere. The patient was treated with cerebral dehydration measures. The patient subsequently improved and had no neurological deficit 3 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Although cerebellar venous infarction is rare, it can occur in chronic suppurative otitis media, pregnancy, antithrombin III deficiency, and diabetic osmolar coma. Sometimes no cause is found. Treatment includes correction of the underlying cause. The presence of a hemorrhagic lesion on computed tomographic scan and deep coma at presentation indicate poor prognosis.