Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt failure in the adult patient

摘要

A Ventriculo-Peritoneal (VP) shunt is a diversion of the Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), by means of an implanted shunt, to a receptacle in the peritoneal cavity. Shunts are not curative, but serve only as a diversion of the excess fluid and do not correct the underlying disease. Shunt failure is pretty common in the pediatric population and its not uncommon to have multiple shunt revisions in a lifetime 1. On the other hand, the experience and literature on VP shunts in the adult seems pretty limited. Also, the diagnosis of shunt failure can be confounded by a variety of factors in an adult patient.