Management of cerebellar infarction with associated occlusive hydrocephalus

We review here 10 cases of cerebellar infarction and associated occlusive hydrocephalus. Surgical therapy consisted of placement of a permanent shunt in 4, and a temporary external ventricular drainage in 6 individuals. This treatment regimen was effective in 9 cases and remained without adequate response in only 1 patient with multiple supra- and infratentorial infarctions. These results and similar reports from the literature suggest that treatment of the hydrocephalus alone might be sufficient in most cases and should therefore constitute the primary treatment of choice in patients presenting with cerebellar infarction and obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways.