Shunt-related brain tumor, a case report presenting a rare complication and review of literature

Abstract

Abstract Background Congenital hydrocephalus is a well-known neurosurgical condition in the pediatric age group. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement is a standard procedure with a high incidence of complications in the first year postoperatively. We present a very rare complication, with only a few reported cases in the accessible literature, in which a tumor arises in relation to a shunt catheter. Study design A case report. Case presentation We describe a case of a VPS placement in an eleven-month-old boy who, at the age of thirteen, presented with a two-month period of convulsions caused by a cortical mass related to the shunt catheter. Surgical excision of the mass revealed atypical meningioma (WHO Grade 2). Conclusions The tumor may have been initiated by direct irritation of the shunt catheter or just an unfortunate simultaneous event for this child. Further analysis is needed to determine which factors could have led to such a complication and to predict its occurrence in future patients. In this case, the pathologic features, duration, and unusual radiologic findings are interesting and unique.