Cerebellar haemorrhage after repeated burr hole evacuation for chronic subdural haematoma

We report a 79-year-old man whose third burr hole craniotomy evacuation for recurrent chronic subdural haematoma (CSDH) was complicated by cerebellar haemorrhage. The patient died 9 days later. Two previously documented cases in which this complication arose after evacuation of extra-axial collections also resulted in death. Remote cerebellar haemorrhage is a rare complication of neurosurgery but is associated with high mortality. This complication should be considered among the differential diagnoses after neurological deterioration following CSDH evacuation. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.