June 18, 2009

Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Fracture

Figure 1: Abdominal radiograph shows that one of the legs (arrows) of the IVC filter is pointed away from the expected IVC lumen.

Fracture of IVC Filter Element
If the fragment migrates to adjacent tissues
- Asymptomatic patient: no treatment necessary
- Symptomatic patient: confirm location with CT scan and consider surgical removal if feasible
If fracture results in compromise of filter function: place a second filter

Reference:
Kaufman JA. Vena Caval Filters. In: Kandarpa K and Aruny JE, eds. Handbook of interventional radiologic procedures. 3rd ed. 2002

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