title: Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Tip as a Rare Cause for Recurrent Pain Episodes in a Child: Think Irritable Peritoneum.
abstract: Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting is an established treatment to regulate the drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus. Several complications (e.g. blockage of CSF shunting, overdrainage, but also catheter-related perforation of abdominal organs, etc.) may occur and may lead to painful episodes, mostly headache, in these children. Here, we report on a 7-year-old child with recurrent painful episodes after revision of a VP shunt that subsided only after repositioning of the abdominal tip of the VP shunt. Visceral irritation by a malpositioned VP shunt should be considered as a cause for recurrent pain in non-verbal children without other relevant clinical findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poryo
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eymann
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000639:trends