Vena cava filter fracture with migration to the pulmonary artery

Inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) placement has been recommended by clinicians for patients with venous thromboembolism who are at high risk for pulmonary embolism. There are a number of complications with IVCF insertion, removal, and migration that have been reported in the literature. Although those resulting from structural failure are rare, they can also be among the most critical. We describe a 48-year-old woman with a history of hypercoagulability whose IVCF fractured during retrieval, resulting in partial embolization to the right middle lobe pulmonary artery.