Fractured inlet connecting tube of the flat bottom flushing device of a posterior fossa cystoperitoneal shunt

BACKGROUND There are well-known complications for shunt procedures. Shunt fracture or disconnection is the second most frequent cause of shunt malfunction in children. Shunt disconnection is not a common cause of shunt malfunction in the early period after installation, especially in the adulthood. CASE DESCRIPTION Fracture of the proximal (inlet) connector of a flat-based shunt installed for decompression of a large posterior fossa arachnoid cyst in a 31-year-old female with signs of increased intracranial pressure led to recurrence of her symptoms 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION Awareness of the possibility of fracture site in the junction of the inlet connector of flat bottom shunt systems is warranted and can be diagnosed by three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) imaging without performing shunt series study.