[Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, hypovolemic shock and cerebrospinal fluid ascites]

A case of communicating hydrocephalus with excessive amount of choroid plexus confirmed by computerized tomography scan in a five-year-old girl is reported. The child exhibited hypovolemic shock and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ascites after ventriculo-peritoneal shunting and relief after ventriculoatrial shunting. Some features suggest overproduction of CSF, with the so-called "third-space" fluid losses, due to sequestration of fluids in the body (peritoneum) that might explain shock. They review 22 cases of CSF ascites reported in the literature.