Intractable cough in a preterm infant with ventriculoperitoneal shunt.

We describe the case of an 8-month-old preterm female with a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt who had an intractable resistant cough of three months duration without any identifiable cause. Reposition of the abdominal part of the VP shunt resulted in an immediate and lasting resolution of the cough. This is the first case report describing an infradiaphragmatic irritation as an etiology for persistent cough with ultimate resolution upon reposition of the shunt.