Cerebrospinal fluid shunt colonization and obstruction by Paecilomyces variotii

Abstract

A 57-yr-old woman underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for noncommunicating hydrocephalus. She required several shunt revisions over 2 yr for recurrent hydrocephalus. The shunt was subsequently obstructed by growth of the saprophytic fungus, P. variotii, an infrequent human pathogen. Paecilomyces infections have caused complications associated with prosthetic cardiac valves and synthetic lens implantation; this is the 1st reported association with a CSF shunt.