Hypertrophic olivary degeneration in children: four new cases and a review of the literature with an emphasis on the MRI findings

Injury to the dentato-rubro-olivary pathway causes hypertrophy and enlargement of the inferior olivary nuclei, which is called hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD). To date, adult cases of HOD have usually been reported, and there are only a few individual paediatric cases with limited radiological emphasis in the literature. We present the clinical and MRI findings of four new paediatric cases with HOD. Three of the patients had a posterior fossa surgery, and one did not have an identifiable cause.