Anal Extrusion of a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Catheter

Bowel perforation and spontaneous extrusion of the lower end of the tube through the anal opening is a rare and unusual complication of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt. We report a case of a two-year-old female child who presented to the emergency department when her mother noticed the shunt catheter protruding from her anus four months after shunt placement. The shunt tube was removed and the patient underwent repeat ventriculoperitoneal shunting on the left side two weeks after shunt removal. Removal of the catheter by a less invasive method is advisable in the absence of infection. Exteriorization of the proximal end is recommended as it can be useful to rule out ventriculitis and meningitis and also to assess the dependency on shunt followed by placement of new shunt after control of the infection.