Localization of peripheral catheter emboli with xeroradiography

There is an increasing incidence of venous catheter emboli coincident with the prolonged use of both peripheral and central venous cannuli. Difficulty in localizing embolized catheter fragments frequently has been a problem, especially in the pediatric patient in whom nonradiopaque catheters are used. A case of catheter embolus in a 4-week-old infant is reported and the use of xeroradiography to localize the catheter in the soft tissue of the extremity is described. Xeroradiography offers excellent definition of soft tissue architecture and therefore may be of value in a variety of situations where localization of a foreign body proves difficult.