The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2013 , Vol 55 , Num 6
Ascites and abdominal pseudocyst: two uncommon ventriculoperitoneal shunt complications in two cases
1Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, 2Medical Education, Internship, 4Department of Neurosurgery, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, and 3Department of Neurosurgery, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey. E-mail: adcomba@gmail.com
Ascites and abdominal pseudocysts (APC) are two rare complications that
can occur following placement of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. Both
complications are characterized by abnormal intraperitoneal cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF) collections. Although various factors have been implicated, the exact
pathogenesis of the two conditions remains elusive. This paper presents two
cases of VP shunt placement resulting from hydrocephaly. The first patient
presented with generalized ascites and the other with APC, both of whom
were six years old. APC and ascites after VP shunt placement are rare and
distinct conditions; therefore, they may require different management strategies.
Keywords :
abdominal pseudocysts, ascites, ventriculoperitoneal shunt, cerebrospinal fluid, child.