Haemorrhage in low-grade glioma is rare. A 4-year-old boy presented with sudden loss of consciousness. CT scan of his head revealed anterior third ventricular tumour with bleeding, intraventricular haemorrhage and hydrocephalus. The boy expired within 26 h of the onset of his illness, and an autopsy revealed a haemorrhagic juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma arising from the lateral hypothalamus with intraventricular haemorrhage. Intracranial tumour as the cause of sudden death and tumour with bleeding are discussed.