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The placement of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is a common neurosurgical, pediatric procedure with various, well-documented complications occurring both in the immediate postoperative course of the procedure and at later stages. Pediatric patients need frequent revision surgeries due to body growth as well as implant failure over the course of the years. We report a rare case of a 12-year-old patient, presenting with torticollis, 11 years after the initial placement of a VP shunt. The peripheral tube had to be surgically removed due to the severe movement limitation of the cervical spine area and the tilting of the head. This is the fourth case known to be reported with this rare complication. The calcification of the tube and the formation of a rigid scar tissue along the shunt tube, combined with the body growth, are the suspected mechanisms of this mechanical malfunction of the VP-shunt. The complication could be efficiently addressed through the surgical replacement of the peripheral tube and the transection of the scar tissue in the neck area., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Otitis media and sinusitis are common childhood infections, typically mild with good outcomes. Recent studies show a rise in intracranial abscess cases in children, raising concerns about a link to COVID-19. This study compares a decade of data on these cases before and after the pandemic., Methods: This retrospective comparative analysis includes pediatric patients diagnosed with otitis media and sinusitis, who later developed intracranial abscesses over the past decade. We collected comprehensive data on the number of cases, patient demographics, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes., Results: Between January 2013 and July 2023, our center identified 10 pediatric patients (median age 11.1years, range 2.2-18.0 years, 60% male) with intracranial abscesses from otitis media and sinusitis. Of these, 7 cases (70%, median age 9.7 years, range 2.2-18.0 years) occurred since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the remaining 3 cases (30%, median age 13.3 years, range 9.9-16.7 years) were treated before the pandemic. No significant differences were found in otolaryngological associations, surgical interventions, preoperative symptoms, lab findings, or postoperative antibiotics between the two groups. All patients showed positive long-term recovery., Conclusion: This study reveals 5-fold increase of pediatric otogenic and sinogenic intracranial abscess cases in the last three-years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While further investigation is needed, these findings raise important questions about potential connections between the pandemic and the severity of otitis media and sinusitis complications in children. Understanding these associations can improve pediatric healthcare management during infectious disease outbreaks., (© 2024. The Author(s).)