Shunting to relieve the pressures of graduate school…literally.

reported light-headedness with position change but no fever, chills or photophobia. Her vitals were stable except for a mildly elevated blood pressure. While in the office she had a syncopal attack and an urgent CT of the head demonstrated massive non-communicating hydrocephalus (figure 1). She was admitted to the hospital and in the midst of her neurosurgical work-up she suffered a generalised seizure and underwent emergent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement. Her symptoms improved significantly and she returned to graduate school within weeks and is on track to complete her masters in occupational therapy. Neurosurgery is monitoring her with periodic neuroimaging (figure 2).