<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is a commonly performed neurosurgical procedure in pediatric surgical practice. This study is aimed at determining the outcome of congenital hydrocephalus patients who underwent shunt surgery at our center. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> A total of 278 operated cases of congenital hydrocephalus with a minimum follow-up of 6 months were analyzed in terms of complications. Hydrocephalus associated with intracranial hemorrhage, neural tube defects, and ventriculitis were excluded from the study. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Complications were observed in 32.0% (89/278) of cases. Shunt block and chamber migration were the most common complications (29.21%). Abdominal wound complications were seen in 4.49% of cases. Shunt exposure due to erosion of overlying skin was noted in 6 patients. Shunt infection was diagnosed in only 9 patients (4.4%). New-onset seizures were seen in 4 cases. Overall, 21% of patients required redo shunt and there were 2 mortalities. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> VP shunt continues to have high complication rates. Shunt migration and new-onset seizure disorders are important late complications. In spite of inherent problems, shunt surgery is the procedure of choice until a safer effective alternative is available.
The occurrence of multiple neural tube defects in a single patient is rare; the cases reported in the past are mostly of thoracic and lumbosacral region. Double occipital encephaloceles are rare; only four cases have been reported till date. Here we report a case of double encephalocele—one in the vertex and the other in the occiput, and a literature study on similar reports.
The earliest clinical sign of esophageal atresia (EA) is excessive salivation and the diagnosis is made by failure to pass an infant feeding tube (IFT) into the stomach. The diagnostic errors may occur due to presence of an unusually long upper pouch, when the IFT seems to pass into the stomach. We describe one such case and review the relevant literature.
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