Spontaneous knot; a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt blockage

Abstract

A 14-year old X linked congenital hydrocephalus presented with unexplained headaches and vomiting. He had external ventricular drain and intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP). Subsequently, he underwent exploration and removal of previously inserted ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. On retrieval of peritoneal catheters a double knot was noted between his two distal catheters. This case illustrates a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction.

Key words:

• Cerebrospinal fluid shunt blockage
• VP shunt complications
• hydrocephalus
• peritoneal catheter

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.