Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2022 Jun 24;14(6):e26308.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.26308. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Migration of an Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Into the Intrahepatic IVC: A Case Report

Alexis Gazda  1 , Marc Squillante  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Migration of an Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Into the Intrahepatic IVC: A Case Report

Alexis Gazda et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

The use of Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters is increasing for patients who cannot otherwise receive anticoagulation for a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). In this case, a 60-year-old man presenting with abdominal pain was found to have migration of his IVC filter into his intrahepatic IVC. Interventional radiology (IR) and vascular surgery were consulted as the migrated IVC filter was felt to be the likely cause of the patient's pain. Consideration was given to transferring the patient to a liver transplant center to retrieve the migrated filter. When patients with a history of IVC filter placement present to the emergency department, a high index of suspicion for IVC filter complication should be maintained and there should be a low threshold for ordering CT imaging. If a severe IVC filter complication is discovered, patients may ultimately require transfer to a center with hepatic surgery capability for definitive treatment given the complex vasculature involved.

Keywords: interventional radiology; intrahepatic ivc; ivc filter complication; ivc filter migration; ivc filter retrieval.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Cross-sectional view of IVC filter in intrahepatic IVC
IVC: Inferior Vena Cava
Figure 2
Figure 2. Coronal view of IVC filter in intrahepatic IVC
IVC: Inferior Vena Cava
Figure 3
Figure 3. Abdominal X-ray showing the IVC filter
IVC: Inferior Vena Cava
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. CT of inferior vena cava filters: normal presentations and potential complications. Georgiou NA, Katz DS, Ganson G, Eng K, Hon M. Emerg Radiol. 2015;22:677–688. - PubMed
    1. Caval penetration by inferior vena cava filters: a systematic literature review of clinical significance and management. Jia Z, Wu A, Tam M, Spain J, McKinney JM, Wang W. Circulation. 2015;132:944–952. - PubMed
    1. Retrievable IVC filters: comprehensive review of device-related complications and advanced retrieval techniques. Desai KR, Pandhi MB, Seedial SM, Errea MF, Salem R, Ryu RK, Lewandowski RJ. Radiographics. 2017;37:1236–1245. - PubMed
    1. Novel and advanced techniques for complex IVC filter retrieval. Daye D, Walker TG. Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2017;19:28. - PubMed
    1. Inferior vena cava filter - comprehensive overview of current indications, techniques, complications and retrieval rates. Li X, Haddadin I, McLennan G, et al. Vasa. 2020;49:449–462. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources