title: Inferior vena cava filter migration to the right ventricle causing nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.
abstract: Inferior vena cava filters are commonly used to prevent pulmonary embolism in patients who manifest deep vein thrombosis and recurrent pulmonary embolism despite anticoagulation, or in patients with contraindications to anticoagulation. We report the case of a 69-year-old man with a structurally normal heart who experienced migration of an inferior vena cava filter to the right ventricle, which caused the abrupt onset of recurrent episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia unresponsive to intravenous antiarrhythmic medication. Cardiac imaging revealed the location of the filter within the right ventricle, and the device was removed, with subsequent resolution of the arrhythmia. We anticipate that the incidence of inferior vena cava filter migration might increase in the future because of recent changes in device construction. The sudden appearance of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in a patient with an inferior vena cava filter might indicate the occurrence of this potentially life-threatening sequela and should lead to emergent cardiac imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. mattpeters25@gmail.com
authors.forename: Matthew N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Rashad H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Khazi Syed
authors.forename: Morgan J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Moscona
authors.forename: Vikram S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Nijjar
authors.forename: Mohannad B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Bisharat
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004452:Echocardiography; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012008:Recurrence; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016306:Vena Cava Filters / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
keywords: Foreign-body migration; inferior vena cava filter; pulmonary embolism/prevention & control; tachycardia, ventricular/etiology/diagnosis; vena cava filters/adverse effects/utilization; vena cava, inferior; venous thrombosis; ventricular tachycardia
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