Skull Base

Types of tumours

There are many types of skull base cancers due to the complex makeup of this part of the skull. The three main regions of the skull base, where common types of tumours occur are:

Posterior compartment of the skull base (posterior cranial fossa). The types of tumours that can occur in this region are: 

• Acoustic neuroma
• Chondrosarcoma
• Chordoma
• Epidermoid tumour
• Meningioma

Central compartment of the skull base (middle cranial fossa). This contains the pituitary gland. The types of tumours that can occur in this region are: 

• Pituitary adenomas
• Craniopharyngioma
• Rathke’s cleft cyst

Anterior compartment of the skull base (anterior cranial fossa). This contains the eye sockets and sinuses:

• Meningioma
• Olfactory neuroblastoma (esthesioneuroblastoma)
• Paranasal sinus cancer

Symptoms

• Difficulty swallowing and frequent choking
• Dizziness, vertigo or loss of balance
• Pain or numbness in the face
• Weakness or paralysis in the face
• Headache
• Hearing loss or ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

• Hoarseness, losing your voice
• Loss of sense of smell
• Lumps on the neck
• Nosebleeds
• Recurrent sinus problems
• Shortness of breath
• Vision loss or double vision