[Cerebellar infarcts and hemorrhages: differential diagnosis]

Seventeen adults with cerebellar stroke confirmed by computerized tomography were reviewed, and divided into two groups: the first group consisted of 10 patients with cerebellar softening, and the second one included 7 cases with cerebellar hemorrhage. The diagnostic rests primarily upon the symptoms and clinical signs. They consist of acute onset of vertigo, headache, nausea or vomiting, ataxia-disequilibrium, then progressing signs of brain stem compression with gaze palsy, cranial nerve palsies and a decreasing level of consciousness. The computerized tomography is the diagnostic test of choice. The interpretation of the scan and of the brain stem and its surrounding cisterns gives decisive help in accessing the indications for surgical treatment.