White Cerebellum Sign: case series and literature review

Abstract

Introduction: The white cerebellum sign is a rare radiological finding, seen in severe traumatic brain injury and severe hypoxia. Radiologically, it is characterized by cerebellar hyperdensity, associated with diffuse cerebral hemispheres hypoattenuation. This paper aims to guide the white cerebellum sign diagnosis in traumatic craniocerebral injuries or not in pediatric patients. Patients and Methods: The authors present a series of five cases that showed the white cerebellum sign from the period about 2007 and 2010, associated with a literature review. Results: The white cerebellum sign was present in 5 patients, three of them were male and 2 female. The mean age was 22 months. The causes of which were: traumatic brain injury (3), drowning (1) and metabolic encephalopathy (1). The skull computerized tomography scan was performed in all cases. All patients were submitted to conservative treatment. There were four deaths and one survived with severe neurological sequelae. Conclusion: The white cerebellum sign is associated with irreversible brain damage, and its pathophysiology is controversial. The imaging tests are important to diagnosis. It has a poor prognosis, associated with the development of diffuse cerebral atrophy or cystic encephalomalacia in those who survive.

Keywords

• cerebellum
• neuroimaging
• prognosis
• traumatic brain injury
• white cerebellum sign