[Fatal outcome after severe cerebellar infarction due to spontaneous dissection of the vertebral artery].

Cerebellar infarction due to vertebrobasilar ischemia in spontaneous vertebrobasilar dissection is infrequent in children and adolescents. The commonest pathogenic mechanism of cerebellar infarction is arterial occlusion. Although usually favorable, outcome can be fatal, as in the present case. A previously healthy 4-year-old girl was admitted to the emergency room with sensory failure and trembling. The previous week she had suffered from a transitory ischemic attack that resolved spontaneously. On admission to the emergency department, the Glasgow Coma Scale score was 10/15 and she presented irregular polypneic breathing, anisocoric reactive pupils, enhanced reflexes, lower limb clonus and bilateral pyramidal signs. Cranial computed tomography revealed marked hypodensity in both cerebellar hemispheres and white supratentorial substance with obliteration of the quadrigeminus cisterns. Cerebral angiography showed left vertebral artery dissection with distal pseudoaneurysm and marked basilar occlusion. Despite aggressive antiedemic treatment and early instauration of intravenous continuous sodium heparin infusion, the patient developed a bilateral cerebellar infarction and supratentorial hydrocephalus. Brain death was diagnosed after 48 hours. Postmortem pathologic examination revealed previous thrombus the in superior left cerebellar artery and basilar artery occlusion. We discuss the absence of predisposing factors and the transitory ischemic attack in this patient 1 week before she developed massive cerebellar infarction.