The authors report 10 patients with progressive neurological deterioration due to massive cerebellar infarctions. Computerized tomography scans confirmed obstructive hydrocephalus and brain stem compression. All 10 patients (seven men, three women; mean age, 59 years) were treated by external ventricular drainage and decompressive suboccipital craniectomy. After discharge from the hospital, they were followed up (23-101 months) and their functional independence was evaluated by the Barthel Index. The condition of three patients with brain-stem infarction had deteriorated despite decompressive surgery. Two of these died during the acute stage and one because severely disabled. The remaining seven patients showed neurological improvement during the postoperative period. Four patients with preoperative Japan Coma Scale of 100 returned to their previous jobs within the follow-up period and three patients with preoperative Japan Coma Scale of 200 required some assistance in daily activities. It is suggested that decompressive surgery may be beneficial for massive cerebellar infarction. The postoperative prognosis depends mainly on the presence or absence of coexisting brain-stem infarction. It is possible that, without brain-stem infarction, patients who remained in a "dependent" state may have recovered better if they had been operated on earlier.