Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Comprehensive Endovascular and Open Surgical Management of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations
Published on: October 20, 2017
Unilateral amaurosis in a hydrocephalic child with an obstructed shunt. Case report
1Department of Surgery, Section on Neurosurgery, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103, USA.
Insights
A malfunctioning ventriculoatrial shunt caused blindness in a child with hydrocephalus. Regular shunt revision during growth could prevent such serious complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Hydrocephalus management often involves cerebrospinal fluid shunting.
- Ventriculoatrial shunts are used to divert cerebrospinal fluid to the atrium.
- Long-term shunt function requires monitoring, especially in growing children.
Observation:
- A 7-year-old child with treated hydrocephalus experienced sudden left eye blindness.
- The blindness was directly linked to a malfunctioning ventriculoatrial shunt.
Findings:
- Shunt malfunction is a critical complication in pediatric hydrocephalus.
- Delayed recognition or management of shunt issues can lead to severe neurological and sensory deficits.
- The specific case highlights a preventable cause of vision loss.
Implications:
- Routine, proactive shunt evaluation and elective revision are crucial in pediatric patients.
- Ophthalmologic monitoring may be necessary in children with shunts to detect early signs of complications.
- This case underscores the importance of considering shunt integrity in the differential diagnosis of vision loss in patients with hydrocephalus.
Abstract:
A 7-year-old child with treated hydrocephalus became blind in the left eye as a consequence of malfunction of the ventriculoatrial shunt. This complication probably could have been avoided by elective revision of the shunt with growth.
