[Pediatric medulloblastoma presenting as cerebellar hemorrhage: a case report]

Medulloblastomas usually cause cerebellar ataxia and acute hydrocephalus owing to their increase in size. Cerebellar hemorrhage is an extremely rare initial clinical presentation of medulloblastoma. Herein, we report a case of medulloblastoma in an 8-year-old girl who presented with initial cerebellar intratumoral hemorrhage. The patient initially presented with mild headache;the differential diagnosis by using the initial computed tomography and magnetic resonance images was difficult, as bleeding from a cerebellar vascular malformation(cavernous angioma or arteriovenous malformation)was considered more likely. Hydrocephalus or typical findings indicative of medulloblastoma were not observed. We initially only observed the patient at another institution because the hematoma was relatively small(1.5×1×1cm). After follow-up imaging for pathological diagnosis, surgical removal was performed at our institute 49 days after the hemorrhage was observed. Complete tumor removal was achieved, and the histopathological diagnosis was medulloblastoma. The patient received whole brain and spinal irradiation(23.4Gy;posterior fossa local:50.4Gy)and chemotherapy(cyclophosphamide, 1,000mg/m2/day on day 1;vincristine, 1.5mg/m2/day on day 1;etoposide, 100mg/m2/day on days 1-3;cisplatin, 90mg/m2/day on day 2). No recurrences or neurological deficits were observed during a 2-year follow-up. This was a rare case of medulloblastoma presenting as cerebellar hemorrhage. Cerebellar medulloblastoma is among the common pediatric brain tumors;therefore, it should be diagnosed accurately and quickly.