A rare complication of per rectal extrusion of a ventricule peritoneal shunt catheter occuring in a four-month old Chinese baby boy with hydrocephalus is described. Perforation of the bowel by the shunt occurred without any peritonitis or retrograde infection of the shunt system. Its pathogenesis and diagnosis are discussed.
Primary germinomas of the central nervous system carry a good prognosis because of their radiosensitivity. Recurrences are rare and extraneural metastases are even more unusual. One of the possible routes of extraneural spread is via ventriculo-peritoneal shunts which may be required to reduce intracranial pressure. One such case of germinoma metastasizing via a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt is reported. Patients with intracranial germinomas and ventriculo-peritoneal shunts should have close surveillance of their abdomens and may require systemic chemotherapy.