Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery (Dec 2018)

Cervical compressive myelopathy caused by malfunction of a programmable cerebrospinal fluid shunt valve

  • Kota Sato,
  • Toru Yamashita,
  • Keichiro Tsunoda,
  • Mami Takemoto,
  • Nozomi Hishikawa,
  • Jinwei Shang,
  • Yasuyuki Ohta,
  • Ken Kuwahara,
  • Takao Yasuhara,
  • Isao Date,
  • Koji Abe

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14
pp. 183 – 185

Abstract

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The primary treatment for hydrocephalus is ventricular shunt placement, and a programmable valve is widely used for ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery to reduce over/under drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Here, we report a rare case of a patient who developed successive VP shunt malfunction causing spastic muscle weakness in extremities associated cervical epidural venous distension and compressive myelopathy due to over-drainage of CSF through a defective VP shunt valve a decade after the initial shunt was placed. One should be aware and cognizant of this complication and carefully follow the symptoms and potentially utilize brain MRI with and without contrast to look at over drainage stigmata to avoid the development of neurological complications. Keywords: Hydrocephalus, Ventriculoperitoneal shunt, Cervical myelopathy