Lal Rehman, Mohammad Ilyas, Azmatullah Khatt Ak, Mushtaq, Syed Dilbagh Ali Shah.
Ventriculoperitonial shunt and its complications in children.
Pak J Surg Jan ;28(2):93-7.

Objectives: To fi nd out the frequency of obstructions and infections in ventriculoperitonial shunts in children. Material and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in the department of Neurosurgery, Hayat Abad Medical Complex Peshawar from December 2005 up to June 2007 with six months follow up. Total 60 patients, VP (Ventriculoperitonial) shunted for hydrocephaluses were studied. We designed a proforma to collect information about the preliminaries of patients, clinical features, investigations; causes of hydrocephalous, VP shunts, postoperative complication and condition of the patient during follow up period. Patients bellow the age of 12 years with any gender, VP shunted for hydrocephalus during this time period were included. Patient above the age of 12 years and those presented with complications, operated before this time period were excluded from the study. Th e data was analyzed to fi nd out the frequency of shunt obstruction and infection. Results: In sixty children, the male to female ratio was 2: 1. Th e age was from 20 days to 12 years. Among these children, 36 patients were below the age of 2 years. Out of all these patients, 36 had congenital hydrocephalus while in the remaining patients thirteen had posterior fossa tumors, nine patients had tuberculous meningitis, one had pineal tumor and one had craiopharingoma. During follow up periods nine patients presented with shunt obstruction and fi ve patients had shunt infection while in three patients there was swelling along the shunt tract and one patient had skin erosion over the shunt pump. Th ree patients expired, two had shunt infection and one was a case of posterior fossa tumor. Conclusion: Shunt obstruction is the most common complication followed by shunt infection. A patient with VP shunt if presents with drowsiness or fever should always be examined and investigated for shunt complications specially shunts obstruction and infection.

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