Holmes tremor in association with bilateral hypertrophic olivary degeneration and palatal tremor: chronological considerations. Case report.
Hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD) is a rare type of neuronal degeneration involving the dento-rubro-olivary pathway and presents clinically as palatal tremor. We present a 48 year old male patient who developed Holmes' tremor and bilateral HOD five months after brainstem hemorrhage. The severe rest tremor was refractory to pharmacotherapy and botulinum toxin injections, but was markedly reduced after thalamotomy. Magnetic resonance imaging permitted visualization of HOD, which appeared as a characteristic high signal intensity in the inferior olivary nuclei on T2- and proton-density-weighted images. Enlargement of the inferior olivary nuclei was also noted. Palatal tremor was absent in that moment and appears about two months later. The delayed-onset between insult and tremor following structural lesions of the brain suggest that compensatory or secondary changes in nervous system function must contribute to tremor genesis. The literature and imaging findings of this uncommon condition are reviewed.
Rieder
Carlos R M
CR
Clínica de Distúrbios do Movimento, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. carlosrieder@terra.com.br
Rebouças
Ricardo Gurgel
RG
Ferreira
Marcelo Paglioli
MP
D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014202:Tremor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology