-Objective: To determine the causes of early shunt complications in 46 children with hydrocephalus. Method: A retrospective study was conducted on 46 children submitted to ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery between February 2005 and February 2007. Results: Thirteen (28%) patients presented complications, which were due to infection in 9 (69%) and to malfunction of the shunt system in 4 (31%).The mean number of surgical procedures performed on patients who presented complications was 2.8 per patient, with a total of 46 surgeries in this group. All patients with infectious complications were identified during their hospital stay. Conclusions: Infection was the most common complication. The infection rate was proportional to the length of hospital stay. All patients with hydrocephalus due to tumors or myelomeningocele presented complications. A higher incidence of infections was observed in children older than 2 years.Key words: hydrocephalus, hydrocephalus valve, ventriculoperitoneal shunt, ventriculoatrial shunt, early complications.complicações precoces de válvula de hidrocefalia em 46 crianças resumo -Objetivo: determinar e as causas das complicações precoces nas válvulas de hidrocefalia de 46 crianças. Método: Um estudo retrospectivo foi realizado com 46 crianças submetidas a colocação de válvula de hidrocefalia no período de fevereiro de 2005 a fevereiro de 2007. Resultados: obtivemos 13 (28%) pacientes com complicações sendo 9 (69%) causadas por infecção e 4 (31%) por mal funcionamento da válvula de hidrocefalia. A média de procedimentos cirúrgicos realizados nos pacientes com complicações foi de 2,8 por paciente, sendo o total de 46 cirurgias neste grupo. Todos os pacientes com complicações infecciosas foram detectados durante a internação hospitalar. Conclusões: Infecção foi a complicação mais comum. o índice de infecção foi proporcional ao tempo de permanência hospitalar. Todos os pacientes portadores de hidrocefalia secundária a tumores ou mielomeningocele complicaram. As crianças maiores de 2 anos de idade tiveram maior incidência de infecções.PAlAvrAs-chAve: hidrocefalia, válvula de hidrocefalia, derivação ventrículo-peritoneal, derivação ventrículo-atrial, complicações precoces. department of Neurosurgery, santa casa de Belo horizonte, Belo horizonte MG, Brazil: 1 resident of Neurosurgery; 2 staff Neurosurgeon.

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Background: Aspergillosis infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is a rare disease and corticosteroid use has increased the number of cases. It presents a high lethality rate and has to be aggressively treated. Methods: A review of literature was done and 38 cases were identified involving cerebral aneurysms caused by this fungus to date. Conclusion: Aspergillus infection is very rare worldwide but its frequency is currently in expansion because immunocompetence failure is growing up: it has no specific presentation, making diagnosis difficult. Its prognosis is poor, so the disease has to betreated as early as posible.