Displacement of peritoneal end of a shunt tube to pleural cavity: A case report

BACKGROUND: The common treatment for hydrocephalus is insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Shunt tube displacement is one of the common complications. Most shunt tube displacements occur in children and has a reportedly lower incidence in adults. CASE SUMMARY: This study reports an adult patient (male, 56 years) who suffered from intracranial aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage and underwent aneurysm clipping following hospitalization. One month post onset of the disease, the patient underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt due to hydrocephalus. The peritoneal end of the shunt tube was displaced in the peritoneal cavity 9 years after the aneurysm clipping. The peritoneal end of the shunt tube was removed and ventriculoperitoneal shunt was re-performed after anti-inflammatory treatment. CONCLUSION: Shunt tube displacement has a low incidence in adults. In order to avoid shunt tube displacement, there is a need to summarize its causative factors and practice personalized medicine.