Fractured inlet connecting tube of the flat bottom flushing device of a posterior fossa cystoperitoneal shunt

BACKGROUND: There are well-known complications for shunt procedures. Shunt fracture or disconnection is the second most frequent cause of shunt malfunction in children. Shunt disconnection is not a common cause of shunt malfunction in the early period after installation, especially in the adulthood. CASE DESCRIPTION: Fracture of the proximal (inlet) connector of a flat-based shunt installed for decompression of a large posterior fossa arachnoid cyst in a 31-year-old female with signs of increased intracranial pressure led to recurrence of her symptoms 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the possibility of fracture site in the junction of the inlet connector of flat bottom shunt systems is warranted and can be diagnosed by three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) imaging without performing shunt series study.