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Romanian Neurosurgery (2013) XX 3: 277 – 281          277 

 
 
 

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt related meningioma: a case report 

G.A. Cruz-Ortiz1, A. Samano-Osuna1, M. Jimenez-Jimenez1, H.R. Alvis-
Miranda3, A. Lee2, L.R. Moscote-Salazar1 

1Hospital Juarez de Mexico, Mexico D.F. 
2Hospital Angeles del Pedregal. Mexico D.F. 
3Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia 

 

Abstract 
Meningiomas are the most common 

primary, non-glial tumours of the brain and 
spine, and represent the most common 
extra-axial lesions. The typical meningioma 
is a dural-based, markedly enhancing extra-
axial mass; they exhibit cortical buckling 
with trapped cerebrospinal fluid clefts or 
cortical vessels. There are factors strongly 
associated with risk of developing 
meningioma, as in the case of exposure to 
ionizing radiation, or exogenous or 
endogenous hormones, as in this case, the 
presence of shunt material as a foreign body 
may have contributed to oncogenesis on the 
basis of a chronic inflammatory reaction. 
The aim of this report is to present the 
clinical case of a meningioma, which 
enveloped the proximal catheter of 
ventriculoperitoneal shunt valve. 

Key words: meningioma, ventriculo-
peritoneal shunt, oncogenesis. 

Introduction 
Meningiomas are the most common 

primary, non-glial tumours of the brain and 
spine, and represent the most common 
extra-axial lesions, accounting for 13-20% 
of all intracranial tumours (2). They are 
predominantly benign neoplasms that are 
derived from meningothelial cells [i.e., 
arachnoid cap cells (12)],  almost all 

corresponding to grade I of the WHO 
histopathologic classification (10). Less than 
10% ever cause clinical symptoms (6). 

Their incidence rates range from 1.2 to 
11.5 per 100.000(19,9,5).The typical 
meningioma is a dural-based, markedly 
enhancing extra-axial mass; they exhibit 
cortical buckling with trapped cerebrospinal 
fluid clefts or cortical vessels (6). The most 
common locations include over the cerebral 
convexity, in the parasagittal region, or 
arising from the sphenoid wing (6). The 
aim of this report is to present the clinical 
case of a meningioma, which enveloped the 
proximal catheter of ventriculoperitoneal 
(VP) shunt valve. 

Case report 
A 44 y.o. female patient, with prior 

history of basal arachnoiditis 12 years ago 
due to neurocysticercosis which left a 
residual bilateral amaurosis, plus 
ventriculoperitoneal shunt placing in the 
same year and 3 shunt revisions in the 
following four years due to hardware 
dysfunction.The current condition has 5-
month of evolution, consisting of 
holocraneal headache of gradual and 
progressive course, which partially decrease 
with analgesics and subsequently 
accompanied by intermittent episodes of 



 
 
 
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left predominance hypoesthesia and 
decreased strength on the same side. 

On examination, we observed that 
higher mental functions were kept, with 
Glasgow coma scale (GCS) of 15 points; 
commitment of the II cranial nerve, 
consisting in pale papilla with bilateral 
amaurosis; muscle strength 3/5 in the left 
hemibody and ipsilateral hyperreflexia and 
Babinski. The patient presented 
astereoagnosia and left finger agnosia also. 
The cranial MRI showed a right 
heterogeneous frontoparietal lesion on the 
hardware way, which on the gadolinium-
T1WI phase showed homogeneous 
enhancement; FLAIR with moderate 
perilesional edema (Figure 1). 

A right fronto-parietal craniotomy was 
performed (Figure 2A); evidencing a lesion 
of grayish-white appearance, rubbery 
consistency, regularly vascularized, which 
enveloped the catheter valve so both were 
removed entirely (Figure 2B). The 
histopathological study reported a 
meningioma (Figure 3). 

Discusion 
Meningiomas are benign tumours 

derived from the arachnoid villous 
structures of the meninges and are 
common in the central nervous system (8). 
Histologically the meninges comprise many 
different cell types (18) including 
macrophages, dendritic cells, mast cells and 
fibroblasts (20), and it is known that 
meningothelial cells of the inner and outer 
layer of the arachnoid give rise to 
meningiomas (17).At computed 
tomography (CT), typical diagnostic 
features include a well-circumscribed, 
smooth mass with a broad dural attachment 
(6). In 75% of cases, the meningioma is 
hyperdense, with homogeneous 

enhancement after the administration of 
contrast material (6). 

 

 
 

 
Figure 1 

(A) Brain MRI showed a right heterogeneous 
frontoparietal lesion on the hardware way, which on 
the gadolinium-T1WI phase showed homogeneous 
enhancement;(B) FLAIR with moderate perilesional 

edema 
 



 
 
 

Romanian Neurosurgery (2013) XX 3: 277 – 281          279 

 
 
 

 
 

 
Figure 2 

(A)Right fronto-parietal craniotomy, note the tumor 
cuddling the shunt hardware. (B) A lesion of grayish-
white appearance, rubbery consistency, and regularly 

vascularized, enveloped the catheter valve so both 
were removed entirely 

 

 
Figure 3 

The definitive histopathological study reported a 
meningothelial cell neoplasm arranged in spindle-
shaped beams, in parallel and intertwined with a 
collagen-rich matrix, conclusive of meningioma 

 
Meningiomas have been described in the 

context of foreign bodies(14), radiation 
exposure(14,15,3), brain abscess(13,16), 
head injury (1), exogenous or endogenous 
hormones (11,4), among others. However, 
only ionizing radiation has been identified 
as an etiologic agent likely to be correlated 
with the occurrence of these tumors. The 
role of head trauma, viral infection, and sex 
hormones is less certain (9). 

In 1999, Holthouse et al (7)reported the 
case of a 25-year-old man with a history of 
childhood cerebellar glioma treated by 
surgical removal, radiotherapy and a VP 
shunt presented with a 5 month history of 
frontal headaches. Imaging revealed a mass 
surrounding the shunt, which was 
surgically removed but in this case the 
shunt was left in situ, unlike our case. The 
histopathological examination revealed an 
atypical and invasive meningioma; thus, to 
our knowledge the case we present is the 
first case of meningioma related to VP 
shunt hardware without prior radiation 
exposure. 

There are factors strongly associated 
with risk of developing meningioma, as in 
the case of exposure to ionizing radiation, 



 
 
 
280          Cruz-Ortiz et al          Ventriculoperitoneal shunt related meningioma 

 
 
 

or exogenous or endogenous hormones, as 
in this case, the presence of shunt material 
as a foreign body may have contributed to 
oncogenesis on the basis of a chronic 
inflammatory reaction.  
Competing interests 

None declared. 
Funding 

None. 
Ethical approval 

Not required. 
 
Abbreviations 
WHO: World Health Organization 
GCS: Glasgow Coma Scale 
MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging 
VP: Ventriculoperotoneal 
 
Correspondence:  
Dr. Luis Rafael Moscote, Universidad de 
Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.   
E-mail: Mineurocirujano@aol.com 

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