Acute Cerebellitis Following Opium Intoxication: A Case Report and Literature Review

Acute cerebellitis (AC) is a rare potentially life-threatening condition in children. Some viral infections, vaccines and neuroimmunologic disorders are the most common causes of AC. Opium poisoning is an unusual cause of this condition.
A 2-year-old girl was referred with loss of consciousness. She was ataxic just a few minutes after opium ingestion and after 1 hour, she became unconscious. We only found pinpoint pupils. After naloxone drip, her condition had been better but she was still obtunded and her urine was positive for opium products (morphine). MRI of the brain showed marked bilateral cerebellar swelling that respond to high-dose steroid dramatically.
This case shows that opium intoxication should be considered as a rare cause of acute cerebellitis in children.