Olivocerebellar retrograde trans-synaptic degeneration from the lateral cerebellar hemisphere to the medial inferior olivary nucleus in an infant.

ABSTRACT

The neuropathological study of an infant with severe perinatal asphyxia showed specific neuronal loss in the medial part of the inferior olivary nucleus and the lateral part of the cerebellar hemisphere. This distribution suggests that the partial loss of olivary neurons is due to trans-synaptic degeneration from contralateral cerebellar hemispheric lesions, immunohistochemistrically demonstrated by axonal loss and swelling of neurofilaments.