The objectives of this study are:

• To describe the incidence of clinical features in adults with internal ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt infections,
• To determine the validity of laboratory parameters in adults with internal ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections and
• To evaluate the relationship between the timing of shunt re-implantation with the rates of relapse and secondary infection.

Information from medical records of patients seen by the PI will be collected and analyzed to describe the incidence of clinical features in adults with internal ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections, to determine the validity of laboratory parameters in adults with internal ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections and to evaluate the relationship between the timing of shunt re-implantation with the rates of relapse and secondary infection.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults (age >= 18 yrs) with VP shunts (ventriculoatrial [VA], and other cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] catheters will not be included).
• Cases will include patients with a diagnosis of VP shunt infection.
• Controls will be patients with a clinical suspicion of shunt infections with negative CSF cultures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with meningitis from community acquired organisms (e.g. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Haemophilus Influenzae).

VP shunt infection