Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection with Mycobacterium fortuitum: a rare offending organism

Abstract

Postsurgical infection is one of the greatest potential morbidities of ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. The majority of infections can be linked to contamination with skin flora at the time of surgery, a phenomenon that has been well described. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria. The authors report a case of postoperative ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection with Mycobacterium fortuitum and review the available neurosurgical literature and treatment strategies.

Keywords: EVD = external ventricular drain; MIC = minimum inhibitory concentration; Mycobacterium fortuitum; NTM = nontuberculous mycobacteria; RGM = rapidly growing mycobacteria; TMPSMZ = trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole; VP = ventriculoperitoneal; WBC = white blood cell; atypical mycobacteria; nontuberculous mycobacteria; shunt infection; ventriculoperitoneal shunt.