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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Neuronavigation and Laparoscopy Guided Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Insertion for the Treatment of Hydrocephalus
Published on: October 14, 2022
Intra-bronchial migration of peritoneal catheter of lumboperitoneal shunt
Takashi Kawahara1, Masakazu Yanagi2, Hirofumi Hirano3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Kagoshima City Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan.
Background:
A rare case of intra-bronchial migration of peritoneal catheter of lumboperitoneal (LP) shunt was treated under the bronchoscopic and fluoroscopic observation.
Case Description:
A 71-year-old man, who underwent LP shunt installation due to idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus a year before, presented with history of high fever and sputum production. Roentgenography and computed tomography of the chest revealed migration of distal end of the peritoneal catheter into the left main bronchus. Migrated catheter was gently extracted through the abdominal wound incision under the bronchoscopic and fluoroscopic observation. Contrast material infused into the catheter did not spread into the pleural cavity. The patient was free of the symptoms within 2 postoperative weeks. Moreover, he underwent the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery 1-month later.
Conclusion:
This is the first case of the migration of peritoneal catheter of LP shunt into the main bronchus.

