Skip to main content

CASE REPORT article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Schizophrenia
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1503993
This article is part of the Research Topic Case Reports in Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders: 2023 View all 5 articles

A case report of mental disorder caused by shunt blockage after hydrocephalus surgery

Provisionally accepted
Jingjing Wu Jingjing Wu 1Wei Li Wei Li 1*LanYing Liu LanYing Liu 1*Yaping Wang Yaping Wang 2Lijin Liu Lijin Liu 3
  • 1 Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
  • 2 The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 3 Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen ，Guangdong, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Hydrocephalus is a form of communication hydrocephalus syndrome characterized by ventricular enlargement and normal intraventricular pressure. The primary clinical manifestations include gait disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and either elevated or normal intracranial pressure. This paper presents a case of a mental disorder resulting from inadequate drainage following a ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedure for hydrocephalus. The case report aims to enhance clinicians' understanding of such organic brain lesions, which are prone to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment, thereby improving differential diagnostic skills.Case Presentation: This case report describes a 34-year-old male with a 16-year history of depressive disorder, previously managed with 150 mg of venlafaxine daily, 7.5 mg of zopiclone every night, and 2.4 g of piracetam every day. The patient underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedure for hydrocephalus, leading to the development of a mental disorder attributable to poor drainage from the shunt tube. Initial symptoms consisted of low mood, decreased interest, and cognitive impairment. Despite psychiatric consultation and antidepressant treatment, there was no improvement in his condition. The final diagnosis was an organic mental disorder. Following an increase in shunt drainage and the administration of a low dose of olanzapine, the patient's psychiatric symptoms showed significant improvement.Reporting this case seeks to enhance clinicians' awareness of the psychiatric manifestations of organic brain lesions, expand the differential diagnostic approach for psychiatrists, and improve diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for cautious use of psychiatric medications, appropriate symptomatic management, and timely referral when necessary.

    Keywords: Hydrocephalus, cerebral organic mental disorder, Depression, NPH, VPS

    Received: 30 Sep 2024; Accepted: 12 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wu, Li, Liu, Wang and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Wei Li, Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
    LanYing Liu, Shanghai Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.