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Endovascular infection following inferior vena cava (IVC) filter insertion

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Abstract

Inferior vena cava filter (IVC) placement is increasing significantly. However, due to low retrieval rates, many filters are left in place indefinitely thereby exposing patients to long-term filter-related complications. This study reports a series of three patients with IVC filter infection. Cases were identified during retrospective review of medical records of all patients undergoing an IVC filter insertion at a single tertiary care university hospital between 2009 and 2013. Clinical presentation, radiological features and management are discussed. Two patients presented within days of filter placement, while the other one presented 1 year later. In two patients, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) was found to be a sensitive method to diagnose IVC filter infection. Endovascular infection of IVC filter is a rare event. In patients with IVC filter in place and fever of unknown origin or persistent bacteremia, this complication should be suspected. FDG PET/CT has a diagnostic value in this challenging diagnosis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Marina Orevi from the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Biophysics of Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, for the permission to use PET/CT data of their department.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Institutional Review Board approval waiving informed consent was obtained for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel

    Amihai Rottenstreich & Yosef Kalish

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sha’are Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

    Rachel Bar-Shalom

  3. Interventional Radiology Section, Department of Radiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

    Allan I. Bloom

Authors
  1. Amihai Rottenstreich
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  2. Rachel Bar-Shalom
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  3. Allan I. Bloom
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  4. Yosef Kalish
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Correspondence to Yosef Kalish.

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Rottenstreich, A., Bar-Shalom, R., Bloom, A.I. et al. Endovascular infection following inferior vena cava (IVC) filter insertion. J Thromb Thrombolysis 40, 452–457 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-015-1219-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-015-1219-1

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