A woman was telling me that she had a benign tumour in her brain that caused a dangerous build-up of fluid, so she had several surgeries which gave her small tubes to drain the fluid directly to the bladder.

This seems like a more extreme option than a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which just drains to the exterior of the brain and lets the circulatory system do its thing.

First of all: damn.

Second of all: under what circumstances would this be the necessary option?

Thirdly and somewhat stupidly: isn’t it possible that under extreme bladder fullness, this could push urine up to the brain?

dv said:

A woman was telling me that she had a benign tumour in her brain that caused a dangerous build-up of fluid, so she had several surgeries which gave her small tubes to drain the fluid directly to the bladder.

This seems like a more extreme option than a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which just drains to the exterior of the brain and lets the circulatory system do its thing.

First of all: damn.

Second of all: under what circumstances would this be the necessary option?

Thirdly and somewhat stupidly: isn’t it possible that under extreme bladder fullness, this could push urine up to the brain?

Valves?

Wikipedia says the peritoneal cavity is a potential space between the parietal peritoneum, perhaps she didn’t have the potential space (as below)

In anatomy, a potential space is a space that can occur between two adjacent structures that are normally pressed together. The pleural cavity, between the visceral and parietal pleura of the lung, is sometimes referred to as a potential space although, strictly speaking, it contains some fluid and is therefore an actual space, albeit a small one

I have never heard of such a thing nor does my reading change that. I think the most likely explanation is a misunderstanding of VP shunt.

Everyone has a peritoneum. It might not be used if there is ascites but there are other places that could be used instead, that aren’t the bladder.

OCDC said:

I have never heard of such a thing nor does my reading change that. I think the most likely explanation is a misunderstanding of VP shunt.

Everyone has a peritoneum. It might not be used if there is ascites but there are other places that could be used instead, that aren’t the bladder.

*might not be used for a shunt

OCDC said:

I have never heard of such a thing nor does my reading change that. I think the most likely explanation is a misunderstanding of VP shunt.

Everyone has a peritoneum. It might not be used if there is ascites but there are other places that could be used instead, that aren’t the bladder.

Well that’s a relief. Perhaps the doctor just told her that the fluid would ultimately come to her bladder and she misunderstood, though it is a bit alarming that such a misunderstanding happened.

Of course hydrocephalus can cause cognitive impairment.

but it does connect to a bladder, which is also called reservoir

https://accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/data/books/reic2/reic2_c119f001.png