Acute Abdomen Caused by Migration of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Catheter into Transverse Colon: Report of a Case

Migration of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt into the transverse colon (T-colon) is a rare complication. A 76-year-old female who had undergone the insertion of a VP shunt for hydrocephalus about 3 months previously complained of nausea and progressive abdominal pain in the past two days. Physical examination revealed mild tenderness in the epigastric region. Under the impression of suspected infection, the patient received an operation to remove the VP shunt. During the exploratory laparotomy, migration of the VP shunt into the T-colon was noted. After wedge resection and repair of the T-colon, together with re-implantation of the VP shunt 1 month later, the condition of the patient improved.