Spontaneous Coiling of Peritoneal Catheter-Uncommon Complication of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt: Recognition and...

Coiling of peritoneal catheter is a rare complication associated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedures performed for the treatment of hydrocephalus. In most of the reported cases, coiling is associated with shunt migration resulting in shunt malfunction.

Here, we report two cases where spontaneous coiling of peritoneal end was observed following insertion of shunt, one of which was also associated with pseudocyst formation, which was clinically silent. Interestingly, in both the patients, shunt system was intact. We describe the clinical features, management, and possible mechanism of this feature.

In asymptomatic coiling of the peritoneal catheter, the patient should be kept in close observation as these groups of patients may be vulnerable to malfunction, and timely intervention may save the patient from further abdominal and cranial complications. Patients presenting with shunt malfunction should get abdominal evaluation performed to look for silent pseudocyst formation over and above a cranial computed tomography and shunt series.