The Mammillary Bodies: A Review of Causes of Injury in Infants and Children

Despite their small size, the mammillary bodies play an important role in supporting recollective memory. However, they have typically been overlooked when assessing neurologic conditions that present with memory impairment. While there is increasing evidence of mammillary body involvement in a wide range of neurologic disorders in adults, very little attention has been given to infants and children. Literature searches of PubMed and EMBASE were performed to identify articles that describe mammillary body pathology on brain MR imaging in children. Mammillary body pathology is present in the pediatric population in several conditions, indicated by signal change and/or atrophy on MR imaging. The main causes of mammillary body pathology are thiamine deficiency, hypoxia-ischemia, direct damage due to masses or hydrocephalus, or deafferentation resulting from pathology within the wider Papez circuit. Optimizing scanning protocols and assessing mammillary body status as a standard procedure are critical, given their role in memory processes.

Automated summary

Despite their small size, mammillary bodies play a crucial role in supporting recollective memory. However, their significance is often overlooked in assessing memory-related neurological disorders, especially in infants and children. This literature review indicates that mammillary body pathology is present in pediatric populations with various conditions, as shown by signal change and atrophy on brain MR imaging. The main causes of pathology are thiamine deficiency, hypoxia-ischemia, direct damage, or deafferentation within the Papez circuit. Given their importance in memory processes, it is critical to optimize scanning protocols and include assessment of mammillary body status as a standard procedure.