BACKGROUND: Acute cerebellitis in adults is a rare disease. The etiology is unknown but postulated to be due to primary infection or para-infection. Different presentations have been reported, which complicates the diagnosis process.

CASE REPORT: We report the case of a young man who presented with headache, vomiting, and vertigo. He was found to have ataxia and cerebellar signs, bradycardia magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed acute cerebellitis, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies showed lymphocytosis. Further investigations showed the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG. His symptoms resolved completely with corticosteroid and antiviral treatments.

CONCLUSIONS: Acute cerebellitis can present in various ways. Bradycardia, along with neurological deficits, should raise the suspicion of acute cerebellitis.

Keywords: Cerebellar Diseases, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Epstein-Barr Virus Infections, acyclovir, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Antiviral Agents, Ataxia, Bradycardia, Ceftriaxone, Dexamethasone, Glucocorticoids, Immunoglobulin G, Immunoglobulin M, Lymphocytosis, young adult