Transoral protrusion of a peritoneal catheter: a rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery is the most used technique for the treatment of hydrocephalus. This procedure is associated with a large amount of complications. Bowel perforation caused by a peritoneal shunt catheter is one of these complications, sometimes fatal, and is usually difficult to recognize, except when protrusion of the peritoneal catheter through a natural orifice occurs. This report presents the case of a 2-year-old boy who had undergone a VP shunt and later presented with protrusion of the peritoneal catheter through his mouth. The shunt device was removed and an external shunt procedure was achieved, using the original ventricular catheter kept in place. The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was retained and an antibiotic therapy was started. The evolution was fatal in 15 days secondary to a bacterial ventriculitis. Through the reported cases of bowel perforation, many risk factors were individualized, such as age, congenital etiology of the hydrocephalus, silicon allergy or the length of the peritoneal catheter. Bowel perforation is a serious complication of VP shunt surgery, leading sometimes to a fatal outcome.     

Rectal extrusion of the catheter and air ventriculography following bowel perforation in ventriculo-peritoneal shunt

Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt is frequently carried out in infantile hydrocephalus. The peritoneal shunt has a lower morbidity than ventriculo-atrial shunts and severe complications are uncommon. Abdominal complications include intestinal perforation, shunt migration, inguinal hernia, cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts and hollow viscus perforation. A few cases of catheter extrusion from the rectum, vagina, umbilicus and urethra have been described. We report a new case of intestinal perforation with rectal extrusion of the catheter associated with a ventriculogram.     

Trans-anal protrusion of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt catheter with silent bowel perforation: report of ten cases in children

Ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunting used in the treatment for hydrocephalus is associated with several complications. Mechanical failure of shunt is the commonest complication of all. Visceral/bowel perforation is an unusual but serious complication of VP shunting. This article reports our experience in the management of ten children who had VP Shunt catheter protrusion from anus. This is a retrospective study of ten patients who had VP shunt catheter protrusion from anus, admitted in the department of paediatric surgery between Jan 1996 and Dec 2005. The records of above ten cases were reviewed for their clinical presentation and management, etc. We had performed 398 VP shunt operations in the last 10 years. Two hundred and seventy one (68.09%) VP Shunts were done for congenital hydrocephalus of which 164 were done in infancy/neonatal period and 107 VP shunts were done in the age group of >1–12 years. One hundred and twenty-seven (31.90%) VP shunt operations were done for patients who had hydrocephalus as a complication following tubercular meningitis (TBM). Out of 398 VP shunts, ten patients (2.51%) had protrusion of the distal end of peritoneal catheter from anus without causing/leading to peritonitis. We observed a 08.29% mortality of all VP shunt operations. Protrusion of VP shunt catheter per rectum can occur without producing peritonitis. Formal exploration and localization of entry of VP shunt catheter in bowel is not mandatory. Mini laparotomy and revision of peritoneal part of shunt can be done if there is no shunt infection.     

Beware of the ventriculogallbladder shunt

We report a case of distal end malfunction in a child with ventriculoabdominal shunt. The distal placement was in the gallbladder rather than the peritoneal cavity, as is usually the case with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Surgeons should be alerted to the possibility of distal terminus of a shunt to be other than the peritoneal cavity, as revision surgery in patients with ventriculogallbladder shunt requires exposure of the metal connector on the gallbladder wall to prevent biliary leakage. Received: 4 May 1999/Accepted: 18 November 1999     

Erosive bladder perforation as a complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt with extrusion from the urethral meatus: case report and literature review

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery is the most common technique used in the treatment of hydrocephalus. Erosive bladder perforation is an extremely rare complication of VP shunt surgery. Only 2 cases of erosive bladder perforation by a peritoneal catheter have been reported in the English literature. The authors present the case of a 14-year-old male with a history of cerebral palsy, severe developmental delay and hydrocephalus who presented with VP shunt tubing protruding from his urethral meatus. The patient had no evidence of neurological change. The VP shunt had been last revised over 11 years prior to admission. Imaging demonstrated the VP shunt to be intact, but displaced inferiorly, with the ventricular catheter in the extracranial soft tissue of the neck and the peritoneal catheter passing into the abdomen, bladder, and out through the urethra. Shunt removal was achieved through a multidisciplinary approach, involving both neurosurgery and urology teams. The authors discuss other reported cases of perforation by a VP shunt, potential mechanisms, and considerations for management of this rare complication.     

Comparison of total versus partial revision of initial ventriculoperitoneal shunt failures

BACKGROUND: Optimal surgical management of patients presenting with shunt failure in the age of neuroendoscopy remains complex. The value of replacing the entire shunt system as opposed to a single shunt component has not been assessed. METHODS: We reviewed the records of all pediatric patients who underwent their first shunt revision between January 1992 and December 1998. Patients with primary shunt failure attributed solely to proximal catheter obstruction or distal catheter obstruction were included for analysis. Shunt revisions were classified as total (entire shunt replaced) or partial (only malfunctioning component replaced). Kaplan-Meier (shunt survival curves) and log rank analysis were used to compare failure rates between partially and totally revised shunts according to the underlying diagnosis and failed shunt part. Significant differences in univariate analysis were confirmed with a multivariate proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: 301 pediatric patients underwent primary shunt revision (183 total, 118 partial revisions). All shunts utilized distal slit peritoneal catheters. In shunt failures attributed to proximal obstruction, reutilization of the distal catheter was associated with a 57% increased risk of subsequent shunt failure (hazard ratio 1.57, 95% confidence interval 1.19-3.49). In shunt failures attributed to distal obstruction, subsequent shunt survival was not affected by reutilization of the proximal catheter (p = 0.581). When stratified according to the etiology of hydrocephalus, only patients with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) failed to demonstrate greater survival of totally revised shunts. CONCLUSIONS: In this series, in the setting of proximal shunt catheter obstruction, reutilizing the functional distal catheter was associated with an increase in subsequent shunt failure rates compared to revising the entire shunt system. Total revision was not associated with improved shunt survival in patients with IVH.     

Posterior flank approach to the peritoneum for ventriculoperitoneal shunting

We report a technique for insertion of a distal shunt catheter into the peritoneal cavity through a posterior incision. This has been helpful in patients with impaired access anteriorly. It may also be useful in elective situations. We have performed this procedure on 3 infants where the traditional anterior approaches would have been difficult due to subcutaneous scar tissue, ostomy sites and anterior intra-abdominal adhesions. This technique was safe and provided easy access to the peritoneal cavity. Complications would be similar to those for the standard ventriculoperitoneal shunts including bowel perforation, damage to the kidney or liver, infection and occasionally posterior cervical webbing that may cause pain locally or pull the head into an extended position.     

A case of infertility in a patient with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Complications arising from the placement of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts are well documented. A case of infertility is presented that was thought to result from factors related to the distal end of a VP shunt residing within a patient's abdomen. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old female with a 3-year history of infertility was referred for fallopian tube blockage. An exploratory laparoscopy revealed multiple adhesions adjoining the distal end of her fallopian tubes. The distal portion of a VP shunt placed at childhood (with subsequent revisions) was found entangled among grossly inflamed and densely adhesive pelvic viscera. INTERVENTION: Laparoscopic adhesiolysis was performed and the patient's fallopian tubes were reconstituted. The distal portion of the VP shunt was freed from the surrounding viscera and was not revised. CONCLUSION: VP shunts may produce adhesive disease and complicate fertility via mechanical, chemical, and/or infectious processes.     

Silent bowel perforation and transanal prolapse of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

A 2-year-old hydrocephalic child presenting with ventriculitis following intestinal perforation by a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is reported. The peritoneal end of the shunt had extruded through the anus without causing any abdominal signs. Removal of the shunt, external ventriculostomy, and antibiotics were effective treatment. Accepted: 23 March 1999     

Ventriculoatrial shunt catheter displacement in a child with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return: case report

Ventriculoatrial (VA) shunts remain the most used alternative to ventriculoperitoneal shunts in infants with hydrocephalus. The authors report a case of an acute VA shunt malfunction as a result of distal catheter displacement in an 18-month-old girl with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. The child presented with respiratory compromise, and a chest radiograph revealed a lung infiltrate and normal position of the distal shunt catheter tip. Computed tomography demonstrated stable ventricle size in comparison with previous studies. As the patient's respiratory distress progressed, she required intubation, mechanical ventilation with high airway pressures and inspired oxygen concentrations, muscle relaxants, and sedation. A routine morning chest radiograph several days after admission revealed displacement of the distal catheter into the left innominate vein. Later that day the child's pupils were noted to be large and unreactive and a distal shunt malfunction was diagnosed. Complications of VA shunts and the presumed mechanism by which the catheter became displaced are discussed.     

Nonclosure of the peritoneum at shunt insertion

To evaluate the nonclosure of the peritoneum during insertion of the distal end of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in the peritoneal cavity, 43 patients in whom a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted using laparotomy with nonclosure of the peritoneum for insertion of the distal catheter were reviewed. No morbidity occurred during a follow-up period of 3-9 months. We think that nonclosure of the peritoneum is safe in shunt surgery, but needs to be evaluated in further studies.     

Cerebrospinal fluid shunt survival and etiology of failures: a seven-year institutional experience

BACKGROUND: Innovations in shunt technology and neuroendoscopy have been increasingly applied to shunt management. However, the relative life span of shunts and the etiology of shunt failure have not been characterized recently. METHODS: We reviewed the records of all shunting procedures at our institution between January 1992 and December 1998. Independent predictors of shunt failure were analyzed via multivariate Cox regression analysis in 836 shunting procedures. Independent predictors of the etiology of failure (infection, proximal obstruction, distal malfunction) were analyzed via multivariate logistic regression analysis in the 383 shunts which failed. RESULTS: A total of 353 pediatric patients underwent 308 shunt placements and 528 revisions. The risk (hazard ratio; HR) of shunt failure decreased as a function of time in both primary placements and revised shunts. In failed shunts, the odds of infection decreased 4-fold per year of shunt function, while the odds of distal malfunction increased 1.45-fold per year. Increasing number of shunt revisions (HR 1.31, p < 0.05), decreasing patient age in years (HR 1.04, p < 0.001), gestational age <40 weeks (HR 2.15, p < 0.001) but not the etiology of hydrocephalus were associated with an increased risk of shunt failure. Revisions versus primary placements, Dandy-Walker cysts and gestational age <40 weeks were independently associated with proximal, distal and infectious causes of failure, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term shunt revision rates observed here are similar to those reported over the past 2 decades. Shunt life span remains poorer in shunt revisions and in younger patients. Patient characteristics may suggest a specific risk and mechanism of failure, aiding in the long-term management of shunted hydrocephalus.     

Pathophysiology of isolated lateral ventriculomegaly in shunted myelodysplastic children

Eight myelodysplastic children developed isolated lateral ventriculomegaly following shunt insertion for progressive hydrocephalus after closure of a myelomeningocele. In all patients a low-pressure distal slit valve (Uni-shunt) system preceded development of an isolated contralateral ventricle. Six of 8 children required a second contralateral shunt for a symptomatic isolated ventricle. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a collapsed ventricle ipsilateral to the shunt secondary to distortion of the foramen of Monro. This was clearly depicted using three-dimensional color reconstructions of the ventricular anatomy. Low-pressure distal slit valves should be avoided in myelodysplastic children to prevent postshunt ventricle isolation.     

Distal catheter obstruction from non-infectious cause in ventriculo-peritoneal shunted children.

In hydrocephalic children, ventriculo-peritoneal shunting is the preferred treatment with few complications. However, an obviously non-infectious peritoneal reaction to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may occasionally lead to shunt malfunction. In eight hydrocephalic children, shunt malfunction with distal catheter complication was found with abdominal pseudocyst formation in seven cases and accumulation of the CSF in one. All children had a normal CSF cell count and glucose concentration, and white cell count, and C-reactive protein in peripheral blood were normal. No CSF infection could be detected despite prolonged aerobic and anaerobic cultures. After initial externalisation of the shunt and subsequent routine administration of antibiotics because infection initially was suspected, ventriculo-peritoneal shunting was attempted one to three times with identical failure before successful conversion to a ventriculo-atrial system. At laparotomy the peritoneum and intestinal serosa were hyperaemic and oedematous in all patients, five of whom also had pseudocysts and two of whom also had intra-abdominal adhesions. Four children had a revision 6-24 years after the ventriculo-atrial conversion due to short atrial catheter with distal obstruction. In three of them, the distal catheter was successfully replaced into the peritoneal cavity. The fourth child, however, developed an infectious abdominal pseudocyst with adhesions due to a then undetected Propionibacterium acnes infection. After externalisation and antibiotics, a new ventriculo-atrial shunt was inserted. At follow-up between 5 months to nearly 6 years later, the three children with peritoneal catheters did not show any signs of shunt malfunction or abdominal problems. Thus hydrocephalic children may develop shunt malfunction with distal catheter obstruction due to a still unexplained, transient, non-infectious peritoneal reaction leading to abdominal pseudocyst formation or accumulation of CSF. In some children, however, it may later be possible to replace the distal catheter into the peritoneal cavity, if no infection is involved.     

A single-pass tunneling technique for CSF shunting procedures

Implantation of ventriculoperitoneal shunts in the precoronal position is generally accomplished using a retroauricular incision for subcutaneous tunneling. Retroauricular incisions can be associated with complications, including cerebrospinal fluid leak and shunt infection. We describe a technique for 'single-pass' shunt tunneling from frontal to abdominal incisions and our initial results in a consecutive, prospective series of 15 children (age 2 days to 5 years). Eleven patients presented with congenital hydrocephalus (including 5 with myelomeningocele and 3 with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus) and 4 with hydrocephalus secondary to central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The average length of clinical follow-up was 6 months (range 1-13 months). There were no perioperative or long-term complications of the single-pass technique. Nine of the 11 patients with congenital hydrocephalus are currently well without any further medical or surgical intervention. Two underwent shunt revision for proximal obstruction, with an intact distal system. Three of the 4 patients with hydrocephalus secondary to CNS tumor suffered secondary shunt complications during periods of severe neutropenia resulting from chemotherapy (6 weeks to 6 months after shunt insertion). For primary ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion in infants and young children, the single-pass tunneling technique is safe and avoids one source of complications.     

Abdominal pseudocyst: predisposing factors and treatment algorithm

Abdominal pseudocyst (APC) is an uncommon complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Various predisposing factors have been attributed to it, including the presence of infection and multiple shunt revisions. We reviewed the records of shunt revisions performed over a 20-year period. During that time, 64 cases of APC were found in 36 patients. The records were then reviewed for the presence of infection, history of necrotizing enterocolitis, prior abdominal surgery, and treatment performed. Of the cases of APC, 46 were primary and 18 were recurrent. A history of prior abdominal surgery other than shunt revision was found in 47% of patients and a history of necrotizing enterocolitis was found in 19% of patients. The average number of prior shunt revisions was 4.1 per patient. Shunt infection as defined by positive cultures of either cerebrospinal fluid or abdominal fluid was present in only 23% of cases of APC. A history of prior shunt infection was present in 30% of patients. Infection was treated by shunt removal, external ventricular drainage, and appropriate antibiotics. After the infection was cleared or if no infection was present, treatment consisted of: (1) repositioning the distal catheter into the peritoneum, (2) repositioning the distal catheter into the pleural space, the atrium, or the gallbladder, (3) exploratory laparotomy with lysis of adhesions and repositioning the peritoneal catheter, (4) APC aspiration only, or (5) shunt removal or disconnection. Because of the complexity of APC management, we analyzed the outcomes of our cases and outlined an algorithm to simplify this process.     

Control of bleeding in extrahepatic portal hypertension — the reverse splenorenal shunt and portal-azygos disconnection

Abstract Variceal bleeding in children with extrahepatic portal hypertension is best controlled by an effective decompressive shunt. Both the standard and central splenorenal shunts require splenectomy which is undesirable in childhood, and alternative shunts such as the mesocaval shunt and the distal splenorenal shunt are also technically difficult with a similar risk of shunt thrombosis.
The reverse splenorenal shunt first described in 1962 by Erlik uses the proximal portion of the left renal vein which was initially anastomosed to the portal vein. It can be anastomosed to any of the major tributaries of the portal system. In the technique described, the proximal end of the renal vein is joined to the side of the splenic vein in continuity. It is preferable for this to be done as an elective planned procedure. Massive continuing haemorrhage which is not responding to conservative management can be controlled by portal-azygos disconnection with gastric transection. This procedure will control major variceal haemorrhage for several years and allow a decompressive shunt to be performed under optimal conditions and after appropriate preoperative investigations.     

Ventriculo cholecystic shunt in the management of hydrocephalus

Ventriculo peritoneal shunt is the preferred surgical management for hydrocephalus. Various sites namely cardiac atrium, pleural cavity, ureter, fallopian tubes, bladder and gastric lumen have been used as alternative for distal CSF flow. Gallbladder has been used sparingly in the past as a reservoir of CSF diversion. We report our experience with ventriculo-cholecystic (VC) shunt in 2 cases and recommend it as a simple and safe alternative .for CSF drainage particularly in the situations where serosal surface of abdomen is unfit or unavailable for absorption.     

Syndrome of overdrainage associated with disconnection of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

We present the case of a child who developed the syndrome of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overdrainage with slit-like ventricles on CT in the setting of a disconnected distal shunt valve. Upgrading the shunt alleviated his symptoms. It is suggested that the presence of a patent fibrous tract allowed the overdrainage of CSF.     

Control of bleeding in extrahepatic portal hypertension--the reverse splenorenal shunt and portal-azygos disconnection

Variceal bleeding in children with extrahepatic portal hypertension is best controlled by an effective decompressive shunt. Both the standard and central splenorenal shunts require splenectomy which is undesirable in childhood, and alternative shunts such as the mesocaval shunt and the distal splenorenal shunt are also technically difficult with a similar risk of shunt thrombosis. The reverse splenorenal shunt first described in 1962 by Erlik uses the proximal portion of the left renal vein which was initially anastomosed to the portal vein. It can be anastomosed to any of the major tributaries of the portal system. In the technique described, the proximal end of the renal vein is joined to the side of the splenic vein continuity. It is preferable for this to be done as an elective planned procedure. Massive continuing haemorrhage which is not responding to conservative management can be controlled by portal-azygos disconnection with gastric transection. This procedure will control major variceal haemorrhage for several years and allow a decompressive shunt to be performed under optimal conditions and after appropriate preoperative investigations.