title: Empyema thoracis due to intrapleural migration of retained vascular catheter.
abstract: Intravascular retention and embolization of fragment of central venous catheters is a rare but well-documented complication of in-dwelling vascular access devices and ports. We describe the case of a 39-year-old male with fracture of the central venous catheter during removal of subcutaneous vascular access port. Over the next 3 years, the catheter fragment embolized through the pulmonary circulation and subsequently migrated into the left pleural space. He presented with empyema thoracis associated with thoracolumbar vertebral osteomyelitis. He required video-assisted thoracoscopy for retrieval of the catheter fragment, left lung decortication, and subsequent multilevel vertebral corpectomy and spine stabilization procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26507, USA. solaodunt@aol.com
authors.forename: Olusola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oduntan
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D062905:Central Venous Catheters / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000209:etiology*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000209:etiology; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted