Fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage after ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement to manage communicating hydrocephalus due to melanoma leptomeningeal disease

Abstract

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a rare, late complication of malignant cancers. In addition to causing significant neurosurgical morbidity, LMD can cause communicating hydrocephalus by disrupting the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow. We report an 18-year old female with a metastatic melanoma presenting with headaches, altered mental status, nausea, and vomiting three months following a craniotomy for a temporal melanoma brain metastasis that had extended into the lateral ventricle. A diagnosis of communicating hydrocephalus was made after brain MRI demonstrated ventriculomegaly, thus necessitating placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Despite an initial improvement in symptoms, the patient quickly deteriorated within six hours following shunt placement and expired following a diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage. This represents an important complication to consider in patients with leptomeningeal metastases and warrants future exploration to determine incidence and etiology.