A 51-year-old female who developed bilateral cerebellar hemorrhages following opioid and benzodiazepine overdose. Malignant cerebellar edema is a rare but recognized complication following opiate overdose in children or chronic heroin toxicity. However, acute cerebellar involvement is rarely reported in adults. Ahmed et al. feel that clinicians and radiologists should keep in mind the possibility of opioid toxic encephalopathy in their differential for adults with acute bilateral cerebellar infarctions and/or hemorrhages 1)
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Ahmed U, Wilson R, Hung SC. Bilateral cerebellar hemorrhagic infarcts as an early presentation following opioid-induced toxic encephalopathy in an adult patient. Radiol Case Rep. 2021 Mar 20;16(5):1207-1210. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2021.02.073. PMID: 33815643; PMCID: PMC8010571.