Transoral migration of peritoneal end of ventriculoperitoneal shunt with perforation of gastro-esophageal junction: A case report of a rare complication

Abstract

A rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is presented. A 11-year old boy presented with a tube coming out of the mouth. He had multiple VP shunt done earlier. Clinical features, laboratory investigations and imaging studies showed that the peritoneal end had perforated the gastro-oesophageal junction and then prolapsed transorally. The shunt was removed and he made an uneventful recovery. Though migration of the peritoneal end of the shunt tube into various organs is known, to our knowledge only six/seven cases have been reported in the English literature of a shunt tube coming out of the mouth and this is the next. The management of this very rare problem is discussed.