Iatrogenic retained foreign body in the right atrium. Lessons to Learn.
BACKGROUND
We report a case of a retained foreign body in the right atrium and the review of the literature discussing several cases where the poor attention and management of medical staff has led to worsening consequences to patient's health.


METHODS
In our case the mass demonstrated on MRI scan turned out to be an inflammatory process and organized clotted blood built around a broken piece of a plastic cannula protruding out of the right atrium. This caused debilitating pleuritic pain to the patient on presentation.


CONCLUSIONS
The cause of this iatrogenic retained piece of cannula may well be from the patients prior diagnostic investigations.


CONCLUSIONS
Algorithm managed indications for surgical removal of such foreign bodies in symptomatic patients lead to better patient's outcomes and decreases the chances of infection, embolization, or erosions within the heart. Keeping this in view, we managed our patient with success.
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas A&M Health Science Center at Scott & White Memorial Hospital, 2401 S. 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
Charles H
CH
Choi
Maqsood M
MM
Elahi
Subbareddy
S
Konda
Atrial thrombus; Foreign body; Minimally invasive; Plastic cannula; Right Atrium