Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Disconnection, Shunt Migration, and Silent Bowel Perforation in a 10-Year-Old Boy

A 10-year-old boy was admitted with chest wall infection around the implanted ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) catheter of 5 days. He had received a right-sided, medium pressure, whole-length VPS for hydrocephalus, following tubercular meningitis at the age of 3 years. Seven years, 9 months following VPS implantation, he was admitted with shunt tract infection at the chest area for 5 days. He had neither fever nor features of meningitis, raised intracranial pressure, or peritonitis. His clinical examination and radiological investigations revealed that the VPS catheter was disconnected at the cranial site, and it was migrated downward up to the upper chest. He was managed well with the removal of the entire VPS catheter. The removed peritoneal catheter along with the shunt chamber was loaded with fecal matter and was presumed that the peritoneal catheter was within the colon. His postoperative recovery was excellent. This is a rare case of VPS catheter disconnection, shunt migration, and silent bowel perforation by peritoneal catheter, and all the above-mentioned complications were detected in a child at the same time and were managed well with the removal of the entire VPS catheter.