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A Rare Case of Shunt Malfunction Attributable to a Broken Codman-Hakim Programmable Shunt Valve after a Blow to the Head

2005; Karger Publishers; Volume: 41; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1159/000087481

1423-0305

Takahito Okazaki, Shinji Oki, Keisuke Migita, Kota Kurisu,

Fetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders

We report a rare case of shunt malfunction resulting from breakage of the Codman-Hakim programmable shunt valve system following a blow to the head. Originally, the patient had suffered intraventricular hemorrhage a month after birth; ventriculoperitoneal shunt was performed at 7 months. After that, the shunt valve functioned well for 7 years. The patient presented with headaches after receiving a blow behind the right ear. The headache became exacerbated with activity and improved with rest. Damage to the shunt valve was identified during surgery, with a crack at the top of the valve housing. Symptoms resolved following a change of the complete shunt system. The possibility of damage to the shunt valve following a blow should be considered in shunt patients presenting with headaches.