title: Rupture of totally implantable central venous access devices (Intraports) in patients with cancer: report of four cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Totally implantable central venous access devices (intraports) are commonly used in cancer patients to administer chemotherapy or parenteral nutrition. Rupture of intraport is a rare complication.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 3 years period, a total of 245 intraports were placed in cancer patients for chemotherapy. Four of these cases (two colon cancer and one each of pancreas and breast cancer) had rupture of the intraport catheter, these forms the basis of present report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean time insitu for intraports was 164 (35) days. Median follow-up time was 290 days and total port time in situ was 40180 days. The incidence of port rupture was 1 per 10,000 port days. Three of the 4 cases were managed by successful removal of catheters. In two of these the catheter was removed under fluoroscopic control using femoral route, while in the third patient the catheter (partial rupture) was removed surgically. One of the catheters could not be removed and migrated to right ventricle on manipulations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Port catheter rupture is a rare but dreaded complication associated with subcutaneous port catheter device placement for chemotherapy. In case of such an event the patient should be managed by an experienced vascular surgeon and interventional radiologist, as in most cases the ruptured catheter can be retrieved by non operative interventional measures.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgical Oncology, Agii Anargiri Kifissias Anticancer Hospital, Greece. d_filippou@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Dimitrios K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Filippou
authors.forename: Christoforos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsikkinis
authors.forename: Georgios K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Filippou
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nissiotis
authors.forename: Spiros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizos