[Cerebellar hemorrhage from an arteriovenous angioma during angiography]

In a 53-year-old man in whom computed tomography and cerebral angiography did not reveal a bleeding source in the initial stage, cerebral angiography was repeated 3 weeks later. After injection of 3 ml contrast medium into the commune carotid artery a mid brain syndrome developed and the patient died on the sequels of brain stem compression. Autopsy revealed a large cerebellar hemorrhage originating from an arteriovenous malformation. In this case the bleeding could not be initiated by increased intravascular pressure due to angiographic injection; the contrast medium itself might have caused increased vessels' permeability as a toxicologic or hemodynamic complication. However, an accidental coincidence of bleeding and angiography must also be taken into consideration.