Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck as a result of a rare ventriculoperitoneal shunt complication.

Patients with ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts may have multiple complications. Migration of the peritoneal catheter into some anatomical or congenitally open cavities can cause inguinal or genitourinary manifestations such as hernia, hydrocele or acute scrotum, and these are common in male infants. We report a very rare complication of VP shunt encountered in a female infant, manifesting as hydrocele of the canal of Nuck, the female counterpart of hydrocele of the spermatic cord. It is emphasized that VP shunts may also cause clinical inguinal manifestations in female infants, and groin or external genital organ swelling in these patients may be an important sign of shunt malfunction. Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel