Ventriculopleural shunt dysfunction as the first sign of a hidden aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A case report

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) is caused by an aneurysmatic origin in 80% of cases. In the adult population, the risk of shunt dysfunction is about 16% in the first year, with proximal mechanical obstruction being the most frequent cause.

An 81-year-old man with a history of shunt system placement presented among clinical data of shunt dysfunction. The brain Computed Tomography (CT) showed dilation of the ventricular system, with no other associated injury. The cause of the dysfunction was a SAH determined by a lumbar puncture (LP) study. We performed an angiography reporting 3 aneurysms.

The risk of shunt dysfunction at one year is 40% and at two years, the risk ups to 53% with obstruction of the system and infection being the two principal causes. The usefulness of a lumbar puncture for late detection of SAH lies in the red cells in the Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF). When the CT is negative and the clinical suspicion remains, the lumbar puncture (LP) continues with higher sensitivity despite is over 12 hours of the onset clinic symptoms.

This case encourages to follow a rigorous protocol study for patients with multiple shunt dysfunction and chronic hydrocephalus. Also, this case invites to consider a hidden SAH secondary to a vascular pathology as a differential diagnosis for a multiple shunt dysfunction.