Persistent Abdominal Pain as Rare Complication of Duodenal Perforation From an Inferior Vena Cava Filter
Walid Khan1, Wei Zhang2, Virginia Clark2
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
Insights
Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters can migrate and cause rare but serious complications like duodenal perforation. Recognizing this rare complication is crucial for diagnosing gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IVC filters.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Gastroenterology
- Interventional Radiology
Background:
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) poses significant morbidity risks for surgical patients.
- Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are used for DVT when anticoagulation is contraindicated or fails.
- IVC filter placement has surged, leading to increased reported complications like migration.
Abstract:
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) continues to be a significant source of morbidity for surgical patients. Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement is indicated for DVT in patients who have contraindications to anticoagulation or anticoagulation failure. Over the last decade, there is an exponential increase in IVC filter placement with increased complications reported. These include IVC penetration, IVC occlusion, insertion complication and filter migration. We report a rare case of symptomatic duodenal perforation by an IVC filter migration. This case illustrates that even though IVC migration and perforation is a rare complication, it should be recognized as a potential cause for gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in these patients.
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