Posterior cerebral fossa syndrome

Posterior cerebral fossa syndrome Tumors that develop at this level in the cerebellum, causes serious disruptions in the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Because of this, is dominated by clinical symptoms of intracranial hypertension syndrome. In addition, at this level is vital nerve structures, nerve centers of respiration, cardio-circulatory centers and many other autonomic functions are controlled from this level. Because intracranial hypertension rapidly developing cerebellar tonsils may herniate through the occipital hole, this is fatal for the patient. Increased intracranial pressure above a certain value and that lasts several days leads to optic nerve atrophy and optic nerve head congestion. How quickly develop intracranial hypertension lies in the fact that the posterior cerebral fossa is a small place is tight and occipital hole immediately in the vicinity which drains cerebrospinal fluid. In most patients the clinical picture begins with headache, which gradually increases in intensity as supraorbitar and occipital head pain. Pain intensity during the disease increases until it reaches a plateau. Plateau in some patients may be interrupted by outbursts of acute headache.
Symptomatology is accompanied by vomiting and morning, the jet, the central type, which are not preceded by nausea. Briefly relieve vomiting and headache not reappear during the day. If vomiting is accompanied by abdominal cramps, then the most likely cause is irritation of the vagus nerve by a tumor located in the fourth ventricle. Access bulbar, when it occurs, is evolving respiratory rhythm disturbances, tachycardia, irregular pulse, alternating with vasoconstriction vasodilation. Access bulbar meets especially in case of tumors located in the fourth ventricle. In bulbar autonomic crises, the risk of death of the patient is very high because the tumor compressed the brainstem.
The clinical picture of posterior fossa tumor is completed and the opistotonus tonic seizures (the patient stays in bed and becomes rigid, all members being locked in extension), trismus and sphincter incontinence. Lockjaw is manifested by spastic contraction of the jaw muscles, the inability we have opened his mouth. During tonic seizures can meet and bradycardia events, pulse oscillating type Chayne-Stockes breathing or episodes of perioral cyanosis.