fossa

(foss -ă) (plural: fossae) a long narrow shallow depression. The word is used in the approved name of such a surface feature on a planet or satellite.

Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006

fossa

[′fäs·ə]

(anatomy)

A pit or depression.

(vertebrate zoology)

Cryptoprocta ferox. A Madagascan carnivore related to the civets.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Fossa

(Cryptoprocta ferox), a predatory mammal of the family Viverridae. The body measures as much as 76 cm in length and as much as 37 cm in height; the tail measures approximately 65 cm in length. The fossa, the largest predator of the island of Madagascar, has a massive body with relatively long, thick extremities and semiretractile claws. It somewhat resembles a cat, but the head is longer. The fur is short, smooth, and reddish brown.

The fossa inhabits forests and feeds on birds and small mammals. It is terrestrial but may climb trees when chasing lemurs. It is active at night. The animal attacks domestic fowl and young domestic swine.

REFERENCE

Mammals of the World, vol. 2. Baltimore, Md., 1964.

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References in periodicals archive

Meningoencephalocele was observed in approximately 10% of patients with bone defects in the base of the middle cranial fossa. We found no cases of meningoencephalocele in the posterior cranial fossa.

Chronic Otitis Media with Granulation Is a Poor Prognostic Factor for Hearing Improvement and Development of Intracranial Complications

(Middle Cranial Fossa showing Bilateral Foramen Vesalius)

ANATOMICAL STUDY OF FORAMEN VESALIUS

Nakatsuka, "Dislocation of the Bilateral Mandibular Condyle Into the Middle Cranial Fossa: Review of the Literature and Clinical Experience," Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, vol.

Chronic Skull Base Erosion from Temporomandibular Joint Disease Causes Generalized Seizure and Profound Lactic Acidosis

This artery supplies branches to the medial pterygoid muscle, upper head of the lateral pterygoid, tensor veli palatini, parts of the sphenoid bone, middle cranial fossa, braches of mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, and the otic ganglion.

Unusual Origin and Relations of the Accessory Meningeal Artery--A Case Report/Origen Inusual y Relaciones de la Arteria Meningea Accesoria--Reporte de un Caso

Computed tomography (CT) showed a soft-tissue mass that had destroyed the bony plate of the posterior and middle cranial fossa (Figures 2(a) and 2(b)).

Large Cholesterol Granuloma of the Middle Ear Eroding into the Middle Cranial Fossa

The transmastoid approach for resurfacing the canal defect was applied based on its lower invasiveness and risk of infection compared to the middle cranial fossa approach, and its higher stability and endurance compared to the transcanal approach.

Transmastoid Approach for Resurfacing the Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence with a Dumpling Structure

The medial aspect of the temporal bone may fail to develop, resulting in a persistent lateral craniopharyngeal canal (also known as the Sternberg canal) between the middle cranial fossa and the pneumatised inferolateral recess of the sphenoid sinus.3 Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumour cerebri) and empty sella syndrome are also known to occur in these patients,2 suggesting that chronically increased intracranial pressure with localised thinning of the bone may also play a role in the pathogenesis of this condition.4

Spontaneous lateral sphenoid cerebrospinal fluid fistula: MRI diagnosis

Symptomatic cluster headache (CH) cases have been described in association with different kinds of lesions located in the middle cranial fossa, near the sellar or parasellar structures including lesions of internal carotid artery.2 Involvement of the hypothalamus has been suggested to explain the cyclic aspects of cluster headache.3 There is one reported case of continuous cluster like headache (CLH) associated with lateral medullary infarct.1 Headache mimicking cluster like headache has also been reported with vertebral artery dissection.4 We report the case of an elderly man with episodic (CLH) ipsilateral to the side of lateral medullary infarct.

Cluster like headache in an elderly patient with lateral medullary infarct - does the clue lie somewhere else?

Middle cranial fossa, lateral transtemporal (subdivided into infralabyrinthine, translabyrinthine, infracochlear and transcochlear) and trans-sphenoid procedures have all been described.

Endoscopic trans-sphenoidal drainage of petrous apex cholesterol granulomas

The anterior, middle and the posterior clinoid processes are located in the middle cranial fossa of the skull.

Anomalous posterior clinoid process and its clinical importance

Conveys sensation from the midface (upper teeth, gums, upper lip and cheeks, lower eyelid and the side of the nose), hard palate, maxillary sinus, part of the nasal mucosa, meninges of the middle cranial fossa. V3 Mandibular The largest branch is joined by the Sensory motor root and exits the skull through Motor the foramen ovale.

Classic trigeminal neuralgia: a surgical perspective

Cranial base reconstruction with CPCs has been successful for translabyrinthine, middle cranial fossa, and suboccipital craniectomy defects, as well as for extensive temporal bone fractures (29).

A natural bone cement--a laboratory novelty led to the development of revolutionary new biomaterials