A posterior fossa fracture refers to the fracture that occurs in the basal part of the skull. This is generally a dangerous type of fracture as it very difficult to detect this type of fracture with the help of CT scans. Also, the fracture is normally not visible in X-rays.
Basal skull fractures are usually diagnosed through clinical findings generally. The doctor will check for fluid collection at the site of the fracture. The fluid can be blood or cerebrospinal fluid that has leaked out from the dura. The basal part of the skull has many small channels that facilitate the movement of blood to the base of the skull. Nonetheless, the doctor will order CT scans and if the scans show some suspicious looking fluid accumulated at the base of the skull and along with the symptoms that the person is showing, the doctor will conclude a posterior fossa fracture. (See Reference 1)
Some of the symptoms of posterior fossa fracture include pain in the nasal and posterior areas and headaches that are to one side of the head are common. Another common symptom is a swelling in the upper part of the neck and this occurs due to accumulation of blood or cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, the doctor will check cranial nerves IX, X and XI for damage. Furthermore, cranial nerve I may also be checked as damage to this nerve can result in anosmia. (See Reference 2)
Once the fracture has been diagnosed based on the symptoms, the doctor will prop up the person to prevent leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, and give the person large amounts of antibiotics to prevent infection. If the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid does not stop after a period of ten days, then patient will be operated upon. The doctor will also recommend further X-rays to ensure that no formation of aerocele occurs. (See Reference 2)More Articles :
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1. London Health Sciences Centre: Basal Skull Fractureshttps://www.lhsc.on.ca/Health_Professionals/CCTC/edubriefs/
baseskull.htm
2. Oluwole Ogunranti: Posterior Cranial Fossa Fractures
https://www.oluwoleogunranti.com/fractures/skullbasepcfossa.htm
One of the dangers of Vitamin C deficiency in the body is frequent bone fractures. As a person ages, they lose bone density. This is normal and common during the ageing process. The older you get, the more bone density you lose. As a result a person gets prone to fractures, joint pains and also backaches.