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Olivary degeneration is due to many posterior cranial fossa (PCF) lesions affecting the dentato-rubro-olivary pathway, also known as Guillain-Mollaret triangle. Triangle damage results in hyperexcitation and consequently in hypertrophy of the inferior olivary nucleus (ION). The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging changes in the ION after surgery in a large cohort of paediatric patients and to determine their correlation with tumour grade.

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the role of high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with special surface coils in selecting the correct therapeutic approach (eye enucleation or follow-up) in patients with suspected extrascleral extension of uveal melanoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study involved 12 patients with suspected extrascleral extension of uveal melanoma on orbital ultrasonography. All patients were studied with thin-section MR imaging of the eye using surface coils. RESULTS: High-resolution MR imaging of the eye excluded extrascleral extension of disease in 8/12 patients: in 4/8 cases it revealed vascular ectasia and in the other 4/8 cases the linear hypointensity of the sclera was unbroken. Seven of these eight patients were followed up by ultrasound, which showed stability of melanoma for at least 2 years, while the last patient underwent enucleation, and the histological examination confirmed the MR diagnosis. In 4/12 patients, high-resolution MR suggested a diagnosis of extrascleral extension of melanoma, which was confirmed at histological examination after enucleation. CONCLUSION: High-resolution MR imaging of the eye with surface coils allowed us to evaluate extrascleral extension of uveal melanoma and choose the correct therapeutic approach, avoiding unnecessary enucleation in 7/12 patients.