Erosive Perforation of Bladder with Calculus Formation as a Complication of Ventriculo-peritoneal Shunt

, Min Soo Kim; , Young Min Lee; , Joon Soo Kim; , Young Zoon Kim

Case Report

Journal of Korean Society of Geriatric Neurosurgery 2014;10(1):54-57.
Published online June 30, 2014.

Erosive Perforation of Bladder with Calculus Formation as a Complication of Ventriculo-peritoneal Shunt

Min Soo Kim , Young Min Lee , Joon Soo Kim , Young Zoon Kim

Department of Neurosurgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea

Abstract

Ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt surgery is the most common technique used in the treatment of hydrocephalus. Erosive bladder perforation is an extremely rare complication of VP shunt surgery. We reported such a case in a 72-year old female with a VP shunt for rupture of the anterior communicating artery aneurysm and hydrocephalus. The patient presented with dysuria and abdominal pain but no neurologic symptoms. Imaging showed the VP shunt distal catheter had migrated into the bladder and the formation of a calcified mass. The distal shunt catheter was removed by neurosurgical and urological teams. We suggested that when a patient with a VP shunt manifests only urinary symptoms, it is important to consider not only urological disease but also shunt catheter migration into the bladder.

Key Words: BladderㆍComplicationㆍHydrocephalusㆍUrinary systemㆍVentriculo-peritoneal shunt