Delayed cerebral abscess as a shunt complication and endoscopic removal of the ventricular catheter and abscess

Abstract

Shunt infections are a common complication of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts, but the formation of a brain abscess related to a shunt system is very rare. A 44-year-old woman had a VP shunt inserted for hydrocephalus secondary to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. She suffered an episode of meningitis and sepsis 8 months after the shunt operation. After recovering from the meningitis, she complained of a loss of cognitive function. An enhancing mass was found in the frontal lobe, around the frontal horn of the lateral ventricle, and the ventricular catheter was embedded inside the mass. The ventricular catheter and cerebral abscess were removed using neuroendoscopy. We present an interesting case of a shunt-related brain abscess which illustrates the usefulness of neuroendoscopy.