Pediatric intrathoracic migration of ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter post TB meningitis: A case report

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is a common procedure in neurosurgery for Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) diversion. It is associated with various complication. One of the rarer complications is migration of the shunt catheter. The incidence is higher in the paediatric population, up to 71.2% compared to adults 28.8%. We present a case of a 1 year 4 months old boy post TB meningitis with intrathoracic shunt migration 2 months after implantation of VPS. The child presented with upward gaze palsy, on and off productive cough and fever. He had a ventriculoperitoneal shunt inserted 2 months before, when he was diagnosed and treated for TB meningitis. Radiological imaging revealed the distal catheter tip was at the right lung with pneumothorax. The shunt was removed and after confirming that there is no active infection, a new ventriculoperitoneal shunt was reinserted.