cefotaxime and Ependymoma

Ventriculoperitoneal shunts were routinely used in the past in children with posterior fossa tumors and hydrocephalus. They can, however, cause a multitude of problems.. This report highlights a previously unencountered phenomenon of a pyogenic abscess forming within a posterior fossa ependymoma as a result of shunt infection. The shunt was exteriorized and the child treated with antibiotics before surgery was done. Only a partial excision of the tumor was possible, as the inflammatory response caused by the abscess had obliterated tissue planes.

Topics: Amikacin; Brain Abscess; Cefotaxime; Cerebellar Neoplasms; Child, Preschool; Combined Modality Therapy; Cranial Fossa, Posterior; Cranial Irradiation; Drug Therapy, Combination; Ependymoma; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Humans; Hydrocephalus; Male; Neoplasm, Residual; Postoperative Complications; Prosthesis-Related Infections; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; Skull Base Neoplasms; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt