Extrusion of the peritoneal catheter of a VP shunt system through a gastrostomy wound.
BACKGROUND
A variety of complications can occur following ventriculoperitoneal shunt. We report a case of extrusion of the catheter tip through the old scar of the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) wound.


METHODS
A 70-year-old male suffered from an intracerebral hemorrhage and then developed hydrocephalus. He required a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. This patient required a PEG for gastroenteric feeding. The PEG was removed 4 years after the insertion because of infection. The tip of the distal shunt tube extruded through the scar of the PEG wound 2 years later.


CONCLUSIONS
The catheter end of VP shunt can extrude through the weak point of an old PEG scar. This kind of complication should be brought to mind while performing abdominal surgery in patients with VP shunts.
Chan
Yung
Y
Department of Neurosurgery, Kwong Wah Hospital, 25 Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, ROC.
Datta
Narendra N
NN
Chan
Kwong Yau
KY
Rehman
Safi Ur
SU
Poon
Christopher Y F
CY
Kwok
John C K
JC
D000368:Aged; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects*