Surgical Treatment of Congenital Kyphosis in Children: Report of a Rare Complication of Remote Cerebellar Haemorrhage

Abstract

Congenital deformities of the spine lead to an imbalance in the longitudinal growth of the spine. These growth abnormalities may lead to three main patterns of deformity: scoliosis (the most common), kyphosis or lordosis (the least common). Despite the recent improvements in imaging and the routine use of neuromonitoring in the surgical treatment of congenital kyphosis, this surgery may be associated with a high rate of complications such as neurologic deficit, pulmonary thromboembolic events, infection, deep vein thrombosis, implant failure, and dural injury. In this paper, we report a rare yet devastating complication to raise awareness about patients who have unexpected neurological deterioration after spinal surgery. Early recognition of remote cerebellar haemorrhage (RCH) symptoms is crucial since rapid diagnosis and management lead to a favourable outcome for this potentially life-threatening complication. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in children.