Bowel perforation secondary to ventriculoperitoneal shunt: case report and clinical analysis.

Bowel perforation is an unusual complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunting. This article describes a case of bowel perforation associated with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt inserted in an 8-month-old male infant for meningocoele and hydrocephalus. Ten months after insertion of the shunt the infant presented with the shunting tube protruding through the anus. There were no signs of meningitis or peritonitis. At laparotomy the tube was seen to enter the transverse colon and was encapsulated by the greater omentum. The tube was cut and the distal end removed via the anus. The transverse colon was repaired. The catheter continued to function effectively and the patient remained asymptomatic. The literature on this rare complication is reviewed and the therapeutic options are discussed.