We present the case of a 40-year-old female who underwent several insertions of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts as a part of the treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Several years after the insertion of the last VP shunt, the patient started experiencing shortness of breath (SOB) and cough; after further assessment, it was noted on computed tomography (CT) scan that the VP shunt had migrated into the right lower lobe of the lung and perforated the distal left main bronchus. The shunt was successfully retrieved using bronchoscopy under general anesthesia, after which the patient had a complete resolution of symptoms. Shunt migration is one of the rare complications that can happen years after shunt insertion. Therefore, we present this rare case of shunt migration into the thorax cavity to highlight the presentation of this complication and its successful management.
Keywords: airway perforation; idiopathic intracranial hypertension (iih); upward migration of ventriculoperitoneal shunt; ventriculoperitoneal (vp) shunt; ventriculoperitoneal shunt complications.
Copyright © 2023, Amien et al.