Open AccessFatal cerebellar hemorrhage as an initial presentation of medulloblastoma in a child
Author(s) -
Güner Menekşe,
Yurdal Gezercan,
Pelin Demırtürk,
İsmail Önder Uysal,
Ali İhsan Ökten
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of pediatric neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.247
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1998-3948
pISSN - 1817-1745
DOI - 10.4103/1817-1745.165727
Subject(s) - medicine , medulloblastoma , vomiting , hematoma , headaches , hydrocephalus , intraparenchymal hemorrhage , presentation (obstetrics) , surgery , lesion , intracranial pressure , coma (optics) , pediatrics , subarachnoid hemorrhage , pathology , optics , physics
Children with medulloblastomas most commonly present with signs and symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure due to obstructive hydrocephalus, especially headaches and vomiting. However, some pediatric patients present with sudden neurological deterioration due to intracerebellar hemorrhage associated with medulloblastoma, although very few reports exist that document this phenomenon. An 8-year-old girl was admitted to our emergency department who presented with sudden loss of consciousness, vomiting, and bradycardia. The neuroradiological evaluation revealed a hemorrhagic mass lesion in the posterior fossa. Urgent evacuation of the hematoma was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the postoperative histopathological examination revealed the lesion to be a medulloblastoma. This report presents an unusual case of a medulloblastoma presenting with fatal intracranial hemorrhage in a child. The clinical features and intraoperative and pathologic findings of the case are discussed.