The greater occipital pool is located within the posterior and inferior portion of the posterior cranial fossa of the brain in the pinched area, which consists of the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata, the inferior portion of the cerebellum, and the inferior portion of the occipital lobe, where the greater occipital pool is normally located.
The occipital pool is a normal physiologic structure in the brain that is connected to the subarachnoid space, the ventricular system, and so on, leading downward to the subarachnoid space and upward to the fourth ventricle.
The more common disorder of the occipital pool is occipital cyst, which is a benign condition in which the occipital pool develops a cyst or enlarges in size. However, an oversized cyst may lead to increased intracranial pressure, resulting in nausea, vomiting, headache, and in severe cases, impaired consciousness or even coma.