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Delayed foreign-body reaction to silk sutures in pediatric neurosurgical patients

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Abstract

Nonabsorbable silk sutures have been a frequently used foreign material in neurosurgery. In general, they are reliable and safe with minimal bio-incompatibility. Three pediatric neurosurgical patients came to clinical attention, however, because of delayed foreign-body reactions to silk sutures. The delayed atypical presentation of these patients delayed appropriate diagnosis and therapy. In two patients, the reaction presented as a delayed inflammation 7 years following surgical suture placement. In the other patient, the reaction caused delayed recurrent shunt failures and surgical wound breakdown. These three cases are used to introduce a discussion of the delayed response of the host to foreign material and its pertinence to neurosurgery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, P.O. Box 3807, 27710, Durham, NC, USA

    Eugene Rossitch Jr., Dennis E. Bullard & W. Jerry Oakes

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  1. Eugene Rossitch Jr.
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  2. Dennis E. Bullard
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  3. W. Jerry Oakes
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Rossitch, E., Bullard, D.E. & Oakes, W.J. Delayed foreign-body reaction to silk sutures in pediatric neurosurgical patients. Child's Nerv Syst 3, 375–378 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00270712

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