title: Prostate brachytherapy seed migration to the heart seen on cardiovascular computed tomographic angiography.
abstract: Brachytherapy consists of placing radioactive sources into or adjacent to tumors, to deliver conformal radiation treatment. The technique is used for treatment of primary malignancies and for salvage in recurrent disease. Permanent prostate brachytherapy seeds are small metal implants containing radioactive sources of I-125, Pd-103, or Cs-131 encased in a titanium shell. They can embolize through the venous system to the lungs or heart and subsequently be detected by cardiovascular computed tomography. Cardiovascular imagers should be aware of the appearance of migrated seeds, as their presence in the chest is generally benign, so that unnecessary worry and testing are avoided. We report a case of a patient who underwent brachytherapy for prostate cancer and developed a therapeutic seeds embolus to the right ventricle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sachdeva
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 805 Rose Street, MN-104G, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA.
authors.forename: Nneka S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Udechukwu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 805 Rose Street, MN-104G, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA.
authors.forename: Hossam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elbelasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 805 Rose Street, MN-104G, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Landwehr
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: St Clair
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, 805 Rose Street, MN-104G, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Winkler
keywords: Brachytherapy; Embolus; Prostate cancer; Therapeutic seeds