Dysfunction of a port-catheter system percutaneously implanted for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy due to a fibrin sheath.

Catheter-related difficulties occurred with a port-catheter system percutaneously implanted by the fixed catheter tip technique for repeated hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for unresectable metastatic liver cancer. A side hole in the indwelling catheter opened into the common hepatic artery. Four years and 3 months later, an occluded hepatic artery was diagnosed by arteriography with contrast medium infused via the port. Conversely, celiac arteriography performed from a catheter newly inserted from the femoral artery showed no such occlusion. A new port-catheter system replaced the original one to continue HAIC. Examination revealed a fibrin sheath covering the withdrawn catheter.