Shunt Tunnel Infection [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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====== Shunt Tunnel Infection ======

see also [[Shunt infection]].

[[Tunnel infection]]s are well-described clinical entities occurring with indwelling [[catheter]]s, whereby the indwelling tunnel portion of a line becomes externally infected with a sterile central lumen. These infections are typically treated with line replacement or [[antibiotic]]s depending on clinical circumstances. 

Pease et al., describe 2 cases of [[shunt]] tunnel [[infection]]. Both cases presented as [[erythema]] over the thoracic portion of the shunt without signs of [[Central nervous system infection]], with only a remote history of shunt surgery and no recent systemic illness. One case was treated with a course of antibiotics, and the other with surgical removal and eventual replacement. Both children made full recoveries. This case series juxtaposes 2 alternative successful strategies for treating the rare entity of shunt tunnel infection
((Pease M, Dewan S, Greene S. Case Series: Pediatric Shunt Tunnel Catheter
Infection. Pediatr Neurosurg. 2018 Jun 26:1-4. doi: 10.1159/000490062. [Epub
ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29945136.
)).