title: Recurrent pneumonia caused by transdiaphragmatic erosion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt into the lung. Case report.
abstract: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this report represents the first description of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt that migrated into the chest cavity where it caused recurrent pneumonias. This 15-year-old boy with a history of hydrocephalus treated with VP shunt therapy as an infant presented with a 2-year history of chronic coughing and recurrent pneumonia. A high-resolution chest computed tomography scan revealed a right lower lobe infiltration and evidence of migration of the peritoneal shunt tubing through the diaphragm into the lung parenchyma. The catheter was pulled back into the peritoneal cavity via a simple abdominal incision. The patient's long-term outcome was excellent, and there was complete cessation of the pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison 53792, USA.
authors.forename: Soner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Aimen F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Shaaban
authors.forename: Bermans J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Iskandar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000293:injuries*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000628:therapy; D008168:Lung; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*