Acute ischemic stroke secondary to ventriculoperitoneal shunt dysfunction in a child with Moyamoya syndrome

BACKGROUND: Patients with brain vascular disease and hydrocephalus may be predisposed to acute ischemic stroke in case of shunt dysfunction and subsequent increased intracranial pression. Patients with brain tumor may develop hydrocephalus as a consequence of obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid pathways and radiation-induced moyamoya syndrome secondary (RIMS) to radiotherapy (RT). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 15-year-old male patient, affected by hydrocephalus and RIMS, presented acute cerebral ischemia after an episode of shunt malfunction. The shunt was promptly revised and the areas of ischemia visible at magnetic resonance imaging significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: Children who receive RT for brain tumor, particularly if the circle of Willis region is involved, require close surveillance for the development of vasculopathy and consequent stroke. This surveillance must be even tighter if the patient has been treated with ventricular shunt for the possible synergistic interaction between the two causes on reducing cerebral perfusion and increasing the risk of acute ischemic events.