title: Hypertrophic olivary degeneration after resection of a pontine cavernous malformation: a case report.
abstract: We report the case of a 35 year old African American female who developed hypertrophic olivary degeneration secondary to resection of a pontine cavernous malformation. The patient initially complained of headaches and diplopia. Unenhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain revealed a left pontine cavernous malformation with scattered foci of recent and remote hemorrhage. The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection of the lesion. Follow up MRI 7 months post surgery demonstrated hypertrophy and T2 signal hyperintensity in the ipsilateral inferior olivary nucleus secondary to hypertrophic olivary degeneration. Familiarity with this diagnosis and its imaging characteristics is required of the radiologist to prevent erroneous diagnoses of other pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology-division of Neuroradiology, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, MS 39202, USA. jgatlin@umc.edu
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gatlin
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wineman
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schlakman
authors.forename: Razvan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buciuc
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery