Peroral extrusion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in an infant managed at a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

[Accepted Case Report]

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts are commonly employed in the surgical treatment of hydrocephalus despite the expanding frontiers of neuroendoscopy. The risk of VP shunt failure is highest in the first year and is estimated to be between 11% and 25%. VP shunt- related morbidities may occur and these include rare complications such as gastrointestinal perforation by the shunt hardware and extrusion through natural orifices. We report the case of an 11-month-old male who presented five months post-VP shunt insertion with extrusion of the VP shunt hardware through the mouth. We discuss the presentation, investigations, management, and review relevant literature.