[Cerebellar hemorrhage--a rare, but serious complication in decompression disease]

Since 1978, five conferences on diving-related illness have failed to conclude that diving could lead to brain damage. We present a case history of a diver with decompression disease who also experienced brain damage. He performed a normal dive down to a depth of ten metres, when suddenly he had to go up to the surface. The patient was brought to the nearest hospital with a decompression chamber and treated according to standard procedure, yet his condition did not improve as expected. A CT scan showed bilateral, cerebellar bleeding and a secondary hydrocephalus. A CT scan one year after the accident showed a normalisation. The changes in the cerebellum could be related to decompression disease. Neurosurgery may be necessary in some cases of decompression disease.