Related Experiment Videos
Transdiaphragmatic migration of a ventriculoperitoneal catheter
Neurosurgery
|August 1, 1985
Insights
A child experienced infected hydrothorax and respiratory distress due to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt complication. The shunt's distal catheter migrated through the diaphragm into the pleural space, causing infection and breathing difficulties.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Ventriculoperitoneal shunts are commonly used to treat hydrocephalus in children.
- Complications, though rare, can arise from shunt placement and migration.
- Hydrothorax, an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, is a potential shunt complication.
Abstract:
A child developed an infected hydrothorax and respiratory distress 3 years after the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The distal catheter had penetrated the right pleural space via retrohepatic transdiaphragmatic migration.