Management of an abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst using laparoscopic techniques

Abdominal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pseudocysts are reported to occur in < 1% of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Management options include various types of shunt revisions with or without aspiration or excision of the pseudocyst. We report a case in which laparoscopy was utilized in a 12-year-old boy to excise a portion of the pseudocyst, remove the shunt catheter tip from the residual pseudocyst, and reposition it in the peritoneal cavity. The patient experienced no complications from the procedure, and there has been no recurrence of the pseudocyst after 12 months of follow-up observation. This case report demonstrates a novel approach to the management of CSF pseudocysts that is minimally invasive, allows direct drainage of the pseudocyst, and permits manipulation and optimal repositioning of the shunt catheter.