Acute cerebellitis (AC) is a rare inflammatory syndrome characterized by rapid onset of cerebellar dysfunction, usually without an obvious etiology. It is often used with the term “acute cerebellar ataxia” which is appropriately described as syndrome of cerebellar dysfunction; however there exists some overlap due to unclear mechanisms of underlying pathophysiology. Complications such as tonsillar herniation, hydrocephalus, and severe cerebellar atrophy can occur.
The majority of the cases have been reported in the pediatric population, with extremely few adult cases. Acute cerebellitis (AC) remains an unclear clinical entity that has been associated with multiple etiologies including viruses (e.g., varicella zoster virus (VZV), measles, mumps, rubella, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, parainfluenza virus, poliovirus, and coxsackie virus) and bacteria…