A cerebral shunt is a device permanently implanted inside the head and body to drain excess fluid away from the brain.

They are commonly used to treat hydrocephalus, the swelling of the brain due to excess buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

[1] The drainage provided by a shunt can alleviate or prevent these problems in patients with hydrocephalus or related diseases.

Shunts come in a variety of forms, but most of them consist of a valve housing connected to a catheter, the lower end of which is usually placed in the peritoneal cavity.

[11] It is a common site for ventricular cannulation in the context of inserting a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for the treatment of hydrocephalus.

The surgeon forms a pocket beneath the epicranial aponeurosis (the subgaleal space) and allows CSF to drain from the ventricles, creating a fluid-filled swelling on the baby's scalp.

The common symptoms often resemble a new onset of hydrocephalus, such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, double vision, and an alteration of consciousness.

[23] Those patients with advanced age, prolonged hospital stay, GCS score of less than 13, extra-ventricular drains in situ, or excision of brain tumors are more likely to have early shunt malfunction.

[24] Infection is a common complication that normally affects pediatric patients because they have not yet built up immunities to a number of different diseases.

Normally, the incidence of infection decreases as the patient grows older and the body gains immunity to various infectious agents.

Despite the fact that these results are not statistically significant, Wong et al. suggest managing VP shunt infections via both surgical and medical treatment.

This type of shunt allowed them to avoid the area of diseased skin that acted as the source of infection.

At the proximal end, the shunt valve can become blocked due to the buildup of excess protein in the CSF.

The second condition, known as slit ventricle syndrome, occurs when CSF overdrains slowly over several years.

[10][34] Recent studies have shown that over drainage of CSF due to shunting can lead to acquired Chiari I malformation.

[35] It was previously thought that Chiari I Malformation was a result of a congenital defect but new studies have shown that overdrainage of Cysto-peritoneal shunts used to treat arachnoid cysts can lead to the development of posterior fossa overcrowding and tonsillar herniation, the latter of which is the classic definition of Chiari Malformation I.

Furthermore, the compliance of the brain will decrease, which prevents the ventricles from enlarging, thus reducing the chance for curing the syndrome.