A case of primary central nervous system lymphoma presenting as a shunt complication

Abstract

The authors describe an 82-year-old female with a right frontal ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt for long-standing normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) who presented with worsening incontinence and gait instability. She was found to have right lateral ventricle collapse around the shunt catheter and subsequently underwent shunt revision, which failed to improve her symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained on postoperative day two, which demonstrated a ventricular lesion. Endoscopic brain biopsy was performed and a diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) was made. The authors believe this is the first published case of PCNSL presenting as a VP shunt complication in a patient with NPH.

Keywords:

• Brain tumor
• lymphoma
• oncology
• primary CNS lymphoma
• intraventricular

Disclosure statement

None of the authors or any member of his or her immediate family has funding or commercial associations (i.e. consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.