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Acute cerebellar ataxia
Cerebellar ataxia; Ataxia - acute cerebellar; Cerebellitis; Post-varicella acute cerebellar ataxia; PVACA
Acute cerebellar ataxia is sudden, uncoordinated muscle movement due to disease or injury to the cerebellum in the brain.
Uncoordinated muscle movement
Uncoordinated movement is due to a muscle control problem that causes an inability to coordinate movements. It leads to a jerky, unsteady, to-and-fr...
Causes
Acute cerebellar ataxia in children, especially younger than age 3, may occur several weeks after an illness caused by a virus.
Viral infections that may cause this include chickenpox , Coxsackie disease, Epstein-Barr, and echovirus .
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a viral infection in which a person develops very itchy blisters all over the body. It was more common in the past. The illness is ra...
Echovirus
Enteric cytopathic human orphan (ECHO) viruses are a group of viruses that can lead to infections in different parts of the body, and skin rashes....
Other causes of acute cerebellar ataxia include:
-
Abscess
of the cerebellum
Abscess
An abscess is a collection of pus in any part of the body. In most cases, the area around an abscess is swollen and inflamed.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Alcohol, medications, and insecticides
- Bleeding into the cerebellum
-
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
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- Vaccination
Symptoms
Ataxia may affect movement of the middle part of the body from the neck to the hip area (the trunk) or the arms and legs (limbs).
When the person is sitting, the body may move side-to-side, back-to-front, or both. Then the body quickly moves back to an upright position.
When a person with ataxia of the arms reaches for an object, the hand may sway back and forth.
Common symptoms of ataxia include:
-
Clumsy speech pattern (
dysarthria
)
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a condition in which you have difficulty saying words because of problems with the muscles that help you talk.
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Repetitive eye movements (
nystagmus
)
Nystagmus
Nystagmus is a term to describe fast, uncontrollable movements of the eyes that may be:Side to side (horizontal nystagmus)Up and down (vertical nysta...
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- Walking problems (unsteady gait)
Exams and Tests
The doctor will ask if the person has recently been sick and will try to rule out any other causes of the problem. Brain and nervous system examination will be done to identify the areas of the nervous system that are most affected.
The following tests may be ordered:
-
CT scan of the head
CT scan of the head
A head computed tomography (CT) scan uses many x-rays to create pictures of the head, including the skull, brain, eye sockets, and sinuses.
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MRI scan of the head
MRI scan of the head
A head MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the brain and surrounding...
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Spinal tap
Spinal tap
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection is a test to look at the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. CSF acts as a cushion, protecting the b...
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Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause:
- If the acute cerebellar ataxia is due to bleeding, surgery may be needed.
- For a stroke, medicine to thin the blood can be given.
- Infections may need to be treated with antibiotics or antivirals.
- Steroids may be needed for swelling (inflammation) of the cerebellum (such as from multiple sclerosis)
- Cerebellar ataxia caused by a recent viral infection may not need treatment.
Outlook (Prognosis)
People whose condition was caused by a recent viral infection should make a full recovery without treatment in a few months. Strokes, bleeding, or infections may cause permanent symptoms.
Possible Complications
In rare cases, movement or behavioral disorders may persist.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if any symptoms of ataxia appear.
References
Marcdante KJ, Kliegman RM. Ataxia and movement disorders. In: Marcdante KJ, Kliegman RM. Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics . 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 183.
Steinlin M. The continuum of parainfectious reactions of the cerebellum in childhood. Neuropediatrics . 2012;43:238-9. PMID: 23065745 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23065745 .
Subramony SH, Xia G. Disorders of the cerebellum, including the degenerative ataxias. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice . 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 72.
Review Date: 2/3/2015
Reviewed By: Amit M. Shelat, DO, FACP, Attending Neurologist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, SUNY Stony Brook, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
