title: Retroperitoneal, paraspinal migration of distal ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter: a peculiar complication of cerebrospinal fluid shunt.
abstract: We describe a case of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction in which the tip of the peritoneal catheter found its way to the paraspinal subcutaneous tissues. The specific findings on physical examination and the results of the imaging made to make the diagnosis are presented. No prior report of migrating shunt tubing into this anatomic area was found in the literature. This curiosity is added to the list of organs or spaces shunts are capable of wandering into.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital New Orleans and LSUHSC, New Orleans, La., USA.
authors.forename: Clarence
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Evans
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valerie
mesh_terms: D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000009:adverse effects; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D064170:Paraspinal Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space / Q000473:pathology*; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects*