Hypertrophic olivary degeneration following surgical excision of brainstemcavernous hemangioma: A case report

Hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD) is a rare type of neuronal degenera tion involving the dentorubo-olivary pathway. it is distinguished from othe r types of neuronal degeneration in that hypertrophy, rather than atrophy, takes place in the neurons in the inferior olivary nucleus. Prior to the in vention of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), HOD was difficult to be defect ed, and a firm diagnosis could only be made at autopsy. We present a case o f bilateral HOD following surgical excision of a cavernous hemangioma in th e brainstem. The literature and imaging findings of this uncommon condition are reviewed. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1999.