"Fat in the cerebellum": An unusual complication of occipitocervical fixation

Abstract

Injuries to neural and vascular structures of the posterior fossa are the most dreaded complications of occipitocervical fi xation. We report an unusual complication of occipitocervical fi xation in a 38-year-old man, presenting with type III odontoid fracture, atlantoaxial instability, and quadriparesis; following a road traffic accident. Inadvertent dural tear occurred while drilling holes in the occipital bone for anchoring the implant. Postoperative imaging showed contusion and fat deposition in the cerebellum. Patient was managed with extraventricular drainage for the hydrocephalus and conservatively for the cerebellar lesion. Thorough search of literature showed no previous reports of such iatrogenic fat deposition within the cerebellum.

Keywords

• Cerebellum
• computed tomography
• CT
• fat
• magnetic resonance imaging
• MRI
• occipito-cervical fixation