Candida parapsilosis Infection of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Adult: Case Report and Literature Review

Candida parapsilosis is an incredibly rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt infections, with only 1 adult case reported in the literature to date.

We describe the case of a 45-year-old man admitted for a traumatic fall and subsequently treated with VP shunt placement for obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a cerebellar contusion and intraventricular hemorrhage. Eight months following VP shunt placement, the patient presented with a 2-month history of clear fluid leakage through a dehiscent surgical abdominal wound overlying the distal VP shunt. Cerebrospinal fluid cultures were obtained and grew C. parapsilosis. The patient subsequently underwent VP shunt externalization and began antifungal treatment with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B. Cerebrospinal fluid studies continued to redemonstrate C. parapsilosis infection, for which VP shunt removal and external ventricular drain placement was performed. Three days into treatment with amphotericin B, he endured significant nephrotoxicity necessitating a switch to oral fluconazole. Following 3 weeks of oral fluconazole treatment with negative serial cerebrospinal fluid cultures, the patient underwent external ventricular drain removal and VP shunt insertion. Following the procedure and 22 total days of oral fluconazole treatment, our patient recovered well and was discharged to a rehabilitation facility in stable condition.

In our report, we describe the clinical course of our patient and offer a review and analysis of the most up-to-date literature concerning C. parapsilosis shunt infections, as well as treatment guidelines for central nervous system candidiasis.