Ces radiol. 2020, 74(2):103-107 | DOI: 10.55095/CesRadiol2020/019

Extraction of caval filter 7 years after placementCase report

Jozef Kováč, Jan H. Peregrin

Pracoviště radiodiagnostiky a intervenční radiologie IKEM, Praha

Pulmonary embolia is serious, often life threatening disease. As a pulmonary embolia prevention anticoagulation therapy is usually used, but in some cases inferior vena cava filter placement is employed. Filter creates a mechanical barrier preventing the passage of the embolus into lungs.
We present a case of female patient with ALN caval filter placed 7 years ago after child delivery. She had floating thrombus in inferior vena cava, the top of the thrombus was up to ostium of right renal vein. It was the reason why the filter was placed atypically above renal veins level.
Seven years after filter placement the patient complains on non-specific pain in right upper abdominal area. As the risk of pulmonary embolia is not present anymore it was decided to remove the filter by endovascular approach. The filter removal was successful and was complication-free. We had to use a sheath 1 F larger than recommended, most probably due to fibrin coating of the filter anchoring struts.
Presented case belongs to the few presented case reports when the filter was removed after relatively long time after placement.

Keywords: caval filter, inferior vena cava, pulmonary embolia, thromboembolic disease

Accepted: April 6, 2020; Published: June 1, 2020  Show citation