Unusual cause for ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure: Carcinoma breast compressing distal catheter

Insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is one of the most common surgical procedures in any neurosurgery unit worldwide. Distal catheter obstruction outside the peritoneum is a rare cause of shunt failure. We report the first case of distal obstruction in a 70-year old female by carcinoma breast engulfing the catheter and causing kinking. Intraoperatively, the catheter was intratumoral with no flow of cerebrospinal fluid distally. She underwent relocation of a new catheter to the opposite side of the abdomen and modified mastectomy with resolution of the hydrocephalus. The postoperative course has been uneventful.

Keywords
Carcinoma breast, hydrocephalus, shunt failure, ventriculoperitoneal shunt