Unusual abdominal complications of ventriculo-peritoneal shunts

Placement of ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunts is an established procedure for treatment of hydrocephalus. With increasing longevity following successful treatment, complications are becoming more common. The authors reviewed 350 VP shunts in 242 patients and found five uncommon complications relating to the peritoneal end of the catheter: (a) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pseudocyst of the lesser sac, (b) subphrenic CSF loculation, (c) bowel perforation and formation of a CSF-enteric fistula, (d) intrathoracic migration of the tip of the shunt, and (e) intractable CSF ascites.