Background: Since the 1950s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt dependency has no longer been a contradiction to normal life, including sexuality and pregnancy in women, because of advances in the understanding of hydrocephalus and shunt technology. Although pregnancy in shunt-dependent women is rare, it causes uncertainty among treating physicians.
Case description: We report the case of a 34-year-old pregnant woman with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Throughout her pregnancy she experienced progressive symptoms of CSF underdrainage without any signs of other pregnancy-related complications. After the delivery of a healthy infant, shunt resistance had to be readjusted to prepregnancy levels. A comprehensive review of the literature reports in English, listed in PubMed, is provided.
Conclusions: Conservative treatment of pregnancy-related functional underdrainage by consecutive valve pressure adjustment is possible, easy, and safe.
Keywords: Hydrocephalus; Intraabdominal pressure; Intracranial pressure; Pregnancy; Ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
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