Abdominal Cerebrospinal Fluid Pseudocyst in a Severely Handicapped Patient with Hydrocephalus

Abstract

We present a case of an abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst as a rare complication of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The patient is a severely handicapped bedridden spastic quadriplegic with hydrocephalus. He underwent surgical reconstruction of a shunt tube because of shunt disconnection at the age of 12 years. Fever and frequent vomiting developed 2 months after surgery, and abdominal fullness gradually became severe. He was diagnosed as having an abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst on abdominal ultrasonography. If a shunt dysfunction is suspected, this type of cyst should also be considered, and abdominal ultrasonography should be performed as one of the screening tests for determining the cause of the shunt dysfunction. (J Child Neurol 1999; 14:320-322).