Percutaneous retrieval of fractured bird's nest IVC filter penetrating into aorta

Migrated Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Strut: A Rare Cause of Chronic Distal Pancreatitis with Likely Malignant Transformation

Patient: Female, 44-year-old

Final Diagnosis: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Symptoms: Abdominal pain

Medication:—

Clinical Procedure: Neoplasm

Specialty: Surgery

A fractured inferior vena cava filter strut migrating to the left pulmonary artery

Inferior vena cava filters are increasingly used in patients with recurrent venous thromboembolism who are contraindicated to anticoagulation. Migration of a broken strut to the pulmonary artery is a very rare complication of these filters. We report the case of an 83-year-old female who experienced this complication with the migratory strut remaining in the same position for years. This case provides evidence that such filters probably have higher rates of complications than what has been thought that remain asymptomatic. The indications and the management of complications of such devices need to be studied further.

Clinical outcomes and causes of death in Japanese patients with long-term inferior vena cava filter implants and deep vein thrombosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We assessed the causes of death and efficacy of permanent inferior vena cava (IVC) filters for preventing new pulmonary embolisms (PE) in Japanese deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients with or without PE.

METHODS AND SUBJECTS

We studied the clinical outcomes during the follow-up period of 1 day to 9 years (median: 18 months; mean: 28 months) in 66 of 72 consecutive patients (44 with acute PE, 27 with intrapelvic DVT, and 1 with floating femoral vein thrombosis). Fifty of 66 patients received anticoagulant therapy after the filter placement.

RESULTS

Five patients died within 1 month (median 9 days) after the filter placement: three from recurrence of PE, one from cancer, and one from sepsis. Two of the three patients with recurrence of PE had preexisting intracardiac thrombi in the right atrium or main pulmonary artery before filter implantation. Ten patients died from the underlying disease (cancer: 7; brain hemorrhage: 1; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: 1; pneumonia: 1) over 1 month after the filter placement (median follow-up period: 21 months). No new symptomatic PE recurrence was observed over 1 month after the filter placement. The 61 patients with long-term follow-up had no deterioration of DVT, and all the 31 patients who underwent multi-slice computed tomography showed no PE recurrence or filter thrombus occlusion, fracture, or migration.

CONCLUSIONS

Underlying diseases and preexisting intracardiac thrombi may be the determining factors for the prognosis of DVT patients. Permanent IVC filters with anticoagulant therapy may be effective for preventing death from new PE in Japanese DVT patients.