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Fibrothorax associated with a ventriculopleural shunt in a hydrocephalic child

A Yellin1, G Findler, Z Barzilay

  • 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.

Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|December 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Ventriculopleural shunts for hydrocephalus can cause rare but severe lung complications. A child developed fibrothorax after shunt placement, requiring removal and surgery to improve breathing.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Thoracic Surgery

Background:

  • Ventriculopleural (VPL) shunts are a neurosurgical option for managing hydrocephalus, often considered safer than peritoneal shunts.
  • While generally safe, VPL shunts can occasionally lead to persistent pleural effusion.

Observation:

  • A case report details a 3.5-year-old child who experienced severe fibrothorax after VPL shunt insertion.
  • Fibrothorax is a condition characterized by significant scarring and thickening of the pleura, restricting lung expansion.

Findings:

  • The VPL shunt was removed in this patient.
  • Decortication surgery was necessary to relieve the child's respiratory distress caused by the fibrothorax.

Implications:

  • This case highlights a previously unreported, severe complication of VPL shunts: fibrothorax.
  • Clinicians should consider this risk when using the pleural cavity for cerebrospinal fluid diversion in pediatric hydrocephalus patients.

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