Gliomatosis peritonei associated with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

The authors describe a seven-month-old male patient with non-teratomatous gliomatosis peritonei secondary to the placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The glial nodules were discovered during microscopic examination of bilateral herniorrhaphy specimens. The glial nature of the implants was confirmed immunohistochemically. The pathogenesis and implications of this finding are discussed, and shunt-related tumor transplantations are briefly reviewed.