Abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst is an uncommon complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) performed for hydrocephalus. The incidence of VPS complications in children is higher than in adults. There are controversies and difficulties in the treatment of the abdominal pseudocyst. We report a case of abdominal pseudocyst complicating VPS in a boy. Partial excision of pseudocyst and replacement of the VP shunt were effective during a followup of 18 months postoperatively with no recurrence.

Migration of a peritoneal catheter of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt into the scrotum is a rare complication. We treated a case of catheter migration in the scrotum. A 12-year old boy, who had had a ventriculoperitoneal shunt at the age of 4 months due to neonatal hydrocephalus, visited the outpatient clinic because of a right inguinal hernia. On physical examination, a firm mass was found in the left scrotum. Pelvic X-ray demonstrated a coiled catheter in the left scrotum. The catheter was successfully removed by exploring the left patent processus vaginalis after high ligation of the hernia sac. This case suggests a suction action of the patent processus vaginalis and the possibility of catheter migration long after shunt catheter insertion.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP shunt) for hydrocephalus is thought to inhibit the closure of processus vaginalis by increasing intraabdominal pressure, thus it promotes the inguinal hernia. We reviewed the incidence and characteristics of the inguinal hernia in VP shunted patients, and tried to estimate the patency rate of processus vaginalis in early childhood. A reprospective review of patients undergone insertion of VP shunt between January 1980 and May 1998 at Seoul National University Children Hospital was done. 262 patients were included in this study. Among them, 28 patients developed inguinal hernia (10.7%). Six patients developed inguinal hernia before the insertion of VP shunt. According to the age of VP shunt, the inguinal hernia developed in 16.2% (12/74) of patients who had undergone VP shunt before 6 months old, 12.4% (11/89) between 6 months and 2 years old and 5.1% (5/99) after 2 years old. Among 22 patients excluding 6 patients who developed hernia before VP shunt, the incidence of inguinal hernia after VP shunt was 8.6% (22/256) with male predominance (M:F=18:4). 8 patients developed inguinal hernia bilaterally (36.4%). It is suggested that at least 14% of processus vaginalis is patent until 2 years old.