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Cerebellar infarction is a rare type of stroke caused by a blockage in the cerebellar arteries, which affects balance, movement, and coordination. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, and problems with walking and coordination. Treatment includes medication, surgery, and rehabilitation. High blood pressure, heart disease, smoking, and diabetes increase the risk of stroke.
A cerebellar infarction is a type of stroke. Strokes result from loss of neurological function due to an obstruction of blood flow within the brain. A stroke is typically caused by a blood clot lodged inside an artery, cutting off the oxygen supply. In a cerebellar infarction, the blockage is found in the cerebellar arteries, affecting the cerebellar hemispheres of the brain. A stroke in the cerebellum is rare, but it can happen.
Strokes that occur within the cerebellum can be ischemic or hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are more common and are caused by blocked arteries. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by arterial bleeding. A hemorrhagic cerebellar infarction is a rare event.
The cerebrum, cerebellum and brainstem are the main parts of the brain. Responsible for higher-level functioning, the brain is required for speech, reasoning, and cognitive functions. The brainstem maintains involuntary bodily functions, such as heart rate and breathing. The cerebellum is the area of the brain needed for balance, movement and coordination.
Cerebellar infarction is characterized by headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. The most obvious symptoms are problems walking, maintaining balance and coordination. A person who has been affected by cerebellar infarction may not be able to walk at all or may even go into a coma. The person’s hands may also shake.
Doctors diagnose strokes by physical examination and tests. Common tests include computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). With a CT scan, doctors have the ability to tell whether the stroke is caused by a clot or by bleeding. A doctor can use an MRI scan to determine whether a stroke occurred within minutes of the event. Blood tests are also done.
Treatment for cerebellar infarction includes a combination of medications, surgery, and rehabilitation. Stroke patients are given thrombolytic drugs to dissolve blood clots within their blood vessels. Medicines are given to decrease pressure in the brain and to prevent blood from clotting. Rehabilitation includes physical, speech and occupational therapies.
Stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide. High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, as do heart disease, smoking and diabetes mellitus. Atrial fibrillation, which is an abnormal heart rhythm that causes blood to pool and clot in the upper chambers of the heart, is another major risk. Part of the clot can break off, traveling through blood vessels to the brain and causing a stroke.
Health experts say that about 25 percent of people who have had a stroke generally regain most of their normal abilities. Most people who die of strokes tend to be older. A person who has had a stroke is at increased risk of a subsequent stroke.
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