NEUROSURGERY QUARTERLY, cilt.14, sa.2, ss.90-92, 2004 (SCI-Expanded)
Shunt malfunction caused by fracture of the distal tube is a common complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Functionality of the fractured distal shunt tube must be evaluated before its removal, because a connective tissue sheath or subcutaneous fibrous channel around the peritoneal catheter may be patent. Although an accurate assessment of shunt function is made by invasive tests such as radioisotope or radiopaque injection via tapping the reservoir, these methods have risks. In our case, patency of a subcutaneous fibrous tunnel that had developed around the distal catheter before the fracture was demonstrated noninvasively by real-time ultrasonography.