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Neuronavigation and Laparoscopy Guided Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Insertion for the Treatment of Hydrocephalus
14:59

Neuronavigation and Laparoscopy Guided Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Insertion for the Treatment of Hydrocephalus

Published on: October 14, 2022

Reversible CSF cyst related to a functioning ventriculo-peritoneal shunt

G V Vajramani1, K Fugleholm

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton General Hospital, UK.

Acta Neurochirurgica
|July 30, 2005
PubMed

Insights

A rare cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cyst developed in a patient with a functioning ventriculoperitoneal shunt, potentially due to prior radiation therapy for meningioma. The cyst resolved after surgical intervention and shunt adjustment.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Neuropathology

Background:

  • Ventriculoperitoneal shunts are used to treat hydrocephalus by draining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  • Distal end obstruction of shunts is a known cause of CSF-related complications.
  • CSF cyst formation with a functioning shunt is uncommon.

Observation:

  • A 51-year-old female presented with a gradually progressing CSF cyst over two years.
  • The patient had a history of radiation therapy for extensive supra- and infratentorial meningioma.
  • No clinical or radiological signs of shunt obstruction were evident.

Findings:

  • A rare CSF cyst developed despite a well-functioning ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
  • Surgical intervention involving cyst puncture and new catheter insertion led to cyst resolution.
  • The cyst's onset and progression correlated with the timeline after radiation therapy.

Implications:

  • Radiation therapy may induce changes leading to CSF cyst formation, even with a functional shunt.
  • This case highlights a potential, previously undescribed complication of radiation therapy in neurosurgical patients.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of radiation-induced CSF cystogenesis.

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