Pediatric Acute Cerebellitis

  • Etiology: Often caused by viral infection
  • Imaging MRI:
    — T1WI: Loss of differentiation of cerebellar folia due to cerebellar edema seen as low signal intensity
    — T1WI post contrast: Some enhancement
    — T2WI: Loss of differentiation of cerebellar folia due to cerebellar edema seen as high signal intensity
  • DDX:
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical: Most common cause of ataxia in children

Radiology Cases of Acute Cerebellitis

MRI of acute cerebellitis
There is loss of differentiation of the cerebellar folia due to cerebellar edema seen as the cerebellar folia having low signal intensity on axial T1 MRI without contrast (below left), high signal intensity on axial T2 MRI (above right) and mild enhancement on axial T1 MRI with contrast (below right). The ventricular system is also dilated on axial T2 MRI (above left).