Mammillary bodies
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Knipe H, Baba Y, Gaillard F, et al. Mammillary bodies. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 16 Feb 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-39238
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rID:
39238
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
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At the time the article was last revised Yahya Baba had no recorded disclosures.
View Yahya Baba's current disclosures
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Synonyms:
- Mamillary body
- Mammillary body
- Tubercules mammillares
The mammillary bodies, also spelled mamillary bodies, form part of the hypothalamus and have a role in memory, although their exact role is yet to be established.
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Terminology
Mamillary can be spelled with either one or two ms. The former (mamillary) tends to be more common in UK spelling, whereas the latter (mammillary) is more common in the US 3.
Gross anatomy
The mammillary bodies are round, paired structures that are a relay in the Papez circuit and lie in the inferior hypothalamus. They are separated in the midline by the intermammillary sulcus.
Relations
- superiorly: infundibulum of the third ventricle
- anteriorly: tuber cinereum
- posteriorly: posterior perforated substance
Related pathology
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: unilateral or bilateral atrophy
- mesial temporal sclerosis
- mamillary body atrophy
References
- 1. Melillo R, Leisman G. Neurobehavioral disorders of childhood. Springer. ISBN:0306478145. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Tagliamonte M, Sestieri C, Romani GL et-al. MRI anatomical variants of mammillary bodies. Brain Struct Funct. 2015;220 (1): 85-90. doi:10.1007/s00429-013-0639-y - Pubmed citation
- 3. Jones EG. Mamillary or mammillary? What's in an "m"?. (2011) Journal of the history of the neurosciences. 20 (2): 152-9. doi:10.1080/0964704X.2010.533089 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (mnemonic)
- Optic chiasm
- Leigh syndrome
- Symmetrical cerebral restricted diffusion
- Third ventricle
- Hypothalamus
- Limbic system
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
- Hypothalamic hamartoma
- Suprasellar cistern lipoma
- Osteolipoma (intracranial)
- Papez circuit
- Symmetrical cerebral T2 hyperintensities
- Fornix (brain)
- Liliequist membrane
- Posterior communicating artery
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- Tuber cinereum
- Mesial temporal sclerosis
- Mamillopontine distance
Cases:
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