Remote Cerebellar Hemorrhage Associated With Intra-Operative Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak: A Report of Two Rare Case Presentations and Review of the Literature

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage (RCH) is a rare complication following cranial or spinal neurosurgical procedures. Traditionally, RCH has been associated with frontal or frontotemporal craniotomy with supine patient positioning. Though the exact etiology is unknown, theories have described patient positioning and excessive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage intra-operatively as contributing factors to cerebellar displacement (cerebellar sag), obstruction of venous flow, and pathogenesis of RCH. We report two cases of RCH following a prone, suboccipital craniotomy-C1 laminectomy and a temporal burr hole evacuation of a subdural hygroma. In each case, a large volume of CSF was rapidly evacuated intra-operatively. To the best of our knowledge, both instances represent relatively rare settings for RCH. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive literature review of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for all cases of RCH in which peri-operative CSF leakage was explicitly detailed. Although RCH is thought to be a rare complication of frontotemporal and frontal craniotomies, this case report signifies that RCH may occur in the setting of sub-occipital craniotomy or even after minimally invasive burr hole procedures. For these procedures, careful symptomatic monitoring and follow-up imaging remain essential in diagnosis. Controlled CSF drainage may be useful in mediating dramatic alterations in intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebellar sag contributing to RCH.