Ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure causing myelopathy in a patient with bilateral jugular vein occlusion. Case report.
The authors describe the case of a 36-year-old woman with bilateral internal jugular vein occlusion, hydrocephalus, and Dandy-Walker variant who presented with myelopathy that was ultimately attributed to ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt failure. Computed tomography (CT) angiography of the head and neck revealed epidural venous engorgement within the cervical spine, greater that 50% narrowing of the C2-5 spinal canal, and compression of the cervical spinal cord. After successful shunt revision, postoperative CT angiography revealed decreased venous engorgement as well as decompression of the cervical spinal cord, and the patient's myelopathy improved. This case represents a fascinating clinical presentation of VP shunt failure, highlighting the physiological importance of the external jugular pathways involved in cerebral venous drainage.
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Related Subject Headings
- Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt
- Venous Thrombosis
- Tomography, X-Ray Computed
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Orthopedics
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Jugular Veins
- Hydrocephalus
- Humans
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt
- Venous Thrombosis
- Tomography, X-Ray Computed
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Orthopedics
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Jugular Veins
- Hydrocephalus
- Humans