Shunt Malfunction and Calcification of Abdominal Fascia Tissue Resulting in Obstruction of Abdominal Catheter

Background: Experiencing a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt complication is a major obstacle in the management of hydrocephalus. Degradation of a shunt catheter associated with surrounding tissue calcification could be 1 reason for a difference in facture rates. Furthermore, tissue reactions around cerebrospinal fluid shunts may be a sign of bacterial shunt infection, which is not uncommon.

Case description: A 31-year-old man was living with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt since childhood. Consequently, his cerebrospinal fluid absorption was supposed to be modified by the shunt. Shunt malfunction later occurred concomitant with symptoms of headache and repeated vomiting. He had undergone shunt revision a year before presentation, but examination revealed that a new, extremely rare calcified lesion had formed in the aponeurosis of the abdomen, compressing the shunt tube. We removed it and replaced the shunt tube, thus relieving his symptoms.

Conclusions: We treated a rare case of shunt dysfunction caused by calcification of the aponeurosis coinciding with significant weight gain over the course of a year. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to describe a case of shunt malfunction caused by calcification of the aponeurosis.