Migration and Sub-galeal coiling of distal components of V-P shunt in a 2-year-boy

• Main Authors: Guru Dutta Satyarthee, A. K. Mahapatra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Academic Publishing 2015-06-01
• Series: Romanian Neurosurgery
• Subjects: subgaleal coiling of shunt; shunt migration; hydrocephalus; extrusion
• Online Access: https://www.journals.lapub.co.uk/index.php/roneurosurgery/article/view/826

The ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt surgery in resource constrained centre still remains, most common form of treatment for hydrocephalus. The V. P. shunt complications can occur along entire course of shunt, distal complications are obstruction of catheter, cerebrospinal fluid ascites, abscess and ulceration of skin. However, total cranial migration and getting coiled in subgaleal space, of peritoneal catheter end is very rare occurrence and is reported in only seven cases as isolated case- report in western literature, further more rare is associated extrusion of ventricular catheter and rarer is subgaleal coiling of both peritoneal and ventricular end. Author reports a rare and unique case of complete migration of peritoneal catheter into subgaleal space in a 2-year old boy associated, with partial extrusion of ventricular end, the child was also given electric stimulation by untrained physiotherapist along the shunt tract, which might have facilitated cranial migration of distal catheter in our case. Pertinent literature is briefly reviewed.