Recurrent pneumonia caused by transdiaphragmatic erosion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt into the lung

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this report represents the first description of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt that migrated into the chest cavity where it caused recurrent pneumonias. This 15-year-old boy with a history of hydrocephalus treated with VP shunt therapy as an infant presented with a 2-year history of chronic coughing and recurrent pneumonia. A high-resolution chest computed tomography scan revealed a right lower lobe infiltration and evidence of migration of the peritoneal shunt tubing through the diaphragm into the lung parenchyma. The catheter was pulled back into the peritoneal cavity via a simple abdominal incision. The patient's long-term outcome was excellent, and there was complete cessation of the pneumonia.