Spontaneous knot; a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt blockage.

Abstract

A 14-year old X linked congenital hydrocephalus presented with unexplained headaches and vomiting. He had external ventricular drain and intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP). Subsequently, he underwent exploration and removal of previously inserted ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. On retrieval of peritoneal catheters a double knot was noted between his two distal catheters. This case illustrates a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction.