Surgeons use this technique to access the posterior fossa — the area at the back of the skull — and, more specifically, the cerebellopontine angle (CPA).

The cerebellopontine angle is a space in the brain between the cerebellum and the brainstem. NPH occurs when fluid buildup presses on the brain, resulting in dementia-like symptoms.

Vestibular schwannomas account for 8% of all intracranial tumors and are the most common neoplasm of the cerebellopontine angle in adults. These tumors derive from myelinating Schwann cells of the ...