Bilateral Hypertrophic Olivary Degeneration with Oculopalatal Tremor after Brainstem Hemorrhage: A case report

ABSTRACT

Hypertrophic olivary degeneration is a form of transynaptic degeneration, which is caused by a lesion in the dentate-rubro-olivary pathway. Commonly described lesions were brainstem stroke, neoplasm, demyelination, and trauma. It's clinical presentations are Holmes tremor, and palatal tremor. This case was a 49-year-old man who was diagnosed as bilateral brainstem hemorrhage. About 2 months later, he had developed bilateral Holmes tremor of upper extremities and oculopalatal termor. Brain MRI was performed at 13 months after onset. MRI showed hyperintense and hypertrophied lesion on T2-weighted image in both inferior olivary nuclei.