In environments in which opioids are increasingly abused for recreation, children are becoming more at risk for both accidental and nonaccidental intoxication. In toxic doses, opioids can cause potentially lethal acute leukoencephalopathy, which has a predilection for the cerebellum in young children. The authors present the case of a 2-year-old girl who suffered an accidental opioid overdose, presenting with altered mental status requiring cardiorespiratory support. She required emergency posterior fossa decompression, partial cerebellectomy, and CSF drainage due to cerebellar edema compressing the fourth ventricle. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of surgical decompression used to treat cerebellar edema associated with opioid overdose in a child.
Keywords: PICU = pediatric intensive care unit; acute leukoencephalopathy; cerebellitis; opioid toxicity; surgical treatment.