Posterior fossa tumor

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Posterior fossa tumor is a type of brain tumor located in or near the bottom of the skull.

Infratentorial brain tumors; Brainstem glioma

The posterior fossa is a small space in the skull, found near the brain stem and cerebellum. The cerebellum is the part of the brain responsible for movement.

If a tumor grows in the area of the posterior fossa, it can block the flow of spinal fluid and cause increased pressure on the brain and spinal cord.

Most tumors of the posterior fossa are primary brain cancers, which originate in the brain, rather than spreading from elsewhere in the body.

There are no known cause or risk factors associated with them.

Review Date: 09/11/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.