Embolization of a PORT-A-CATH device in the main pulmonary artery and its percutaneous extraction in a patient with pinch-off syndrome.

Totally implanted port devices play an important role in acute and chronic medical care of patients with various conditions and are widely used for infusion of fluids, medications, blood or other blood products, and for monitoring hemodynamic parameters. Embolization of a part of port devices is a rare but potentially serious complication of port catheter placement. We report distal embolization of a catheter fragment of a PORT-A-CATH device into the main pulmonary artery and right ventricle and its successful percutaneous retrieval in a patient with metastatic lung cancer, who was also found to have thoracic inlet syndrome or pinch-off syndrome.