Mollaret’s triangle: An important neuroanatomical territory for all clinicians

Abstract

Background: Hypertrophic olivary degeneration is a rare condition caused by damage within the triangle of Guillain and Mollaret. We discuss the anatomical, radiological, and clinical history of this rare condition. Case Description: A 32-year-old lady presented with sub-acute headache, photophobia, and dizziness. She also described facial tingling and itching over her nose, and a thirty-minute episode of slurred speech. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 12.1 × 11 × 7.3 mm lesion arising from the floor of the fourth ventricle [Figure 1]. Postoperative imaging confirmed complete resection of the tumor, but changes consistent with hypertrophic olivary degeneration [Figure 2a and b]. Conclusion: An awareness of this complication is of importance to all clinical neuroscience to prevent misdiagnosis with the occurrence of new symptoms.