Chronic Leptomeningitis and Spinal Intradural Mass Secondary to Alternaria Infection in a Patient with Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

Sanjeet S Dadwal; Russell Thompson; Rahul Jandial; Bernard Tegtmeier; Mike Yue Chen

doi:10.1155/2016/4693409

Chronic Leptomeningitis and Spinal Intradural Mass Secondary to Alternaria Infection in a Patient with Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

Case Rep Infect Dis. 2016:2016:4693409. doi: 10.1155/2016/4693409. Epub 2016 Oct 20.

Authors

Sanjeet S Dadwal¹, Russell Thompson², Rahul Jandial³, Bernard Tegtmeier¹, Mike Yue Chen³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Disease, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
² Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
³ Division of Neurosurgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.

Abstract

Fungal infection following placement of ventriculostomy or ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is uncommon. We report the first case of Alternaria related central nervous system (CNS) shunt infection in a patient with CNS ependymoma manifesting as leptomeningitis and a spinal intradural mass. This case illustrates the diagnostic and management challenges.