[A case of intracerebellar hemorrhage in infancy].
Nontraumatic intracerebellar hemorrhage is rare during childhood. We report such a case due to rupture of arteriovenous malformation, in which surgery was able to bring about satisfactory recovery from deep coma without spontaneous respiration. This case shows that operative treatment should not be abandoned even though neurological deficits are very serious. This 6-year-old boy suddenly complained of headache while playing in a nursery and became restless. Because of deterioration of consciousness level followed by loss of respiration, he was transferred from a local physician to our clinic 4 hours after the onset. Computerized tomography scan disclosed a hematoma in the cerebellar hemisphere. Emergency suboccipital craniectomy was carried out 1 hour later. Immediately after operation, respiration was restored. Vertebral arteriography was performed 1 month after the operation, when the patient had recovered but could barely communicate with his family. The study revealed a small arteriovenous malformation supplied by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery. The malformation was removed 3 months after admission. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient attended a primary school without neurological deficits except for slight ataxia 6 months after the onset.