A case of breast cancer involving a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
An 84-year-old woman was examined for an enlargement of an induration in the left breast. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt had been placed for postoperative normal pressure hydrocephalus of a cerebral hemorrhage, and it had penetrated the mass according to the computed tomography findings. Breast cancer was diagnosed after a close examination; however, close observation was selected because her family rejected treatment. She developed somnolence 7 months after the initial examination, and ventricular dilatation and expansion of the low-density region around the ventricle were noted on computed tomography, suggesting that the enlarged tumor had excluded the shunt and caused obstruction. The growth of breast carcinoma involving a shunt tube can be the cause of obstruction of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Our findings suggest that a breast lesion should be evaluated at both pre- and postoperation.
['Kamei|Mirei|M|', 'Kikuchi|Nobuyuki|N|', 'Ichimura|Homare|H|', 'Chujo|Masao|M|', 'Takahashi|Yoshiaki|Y|', 'Sugio|Kenji|K|']
Breast cancer Ventriculoperitoneal shunt Shunt malfunction