Spontaneous fracture of the catheter of a totally implantable venous access port: case report of a rare complication.

A case of spontaneous fracture of the outlet catheter of a totally implantable venous access port (IVAP) is presented. Thirty-seven weeks after implantation, the outlet catheter was broken at the entrance into the left subclavian vein. The distal part was embolized in the left pulmonary artery. The embolized remnant was retrieved in an outpatient setting, using a grasping forcipal catheter through a 7 French longsheath. Experimental study of the catheter revealed that it had been broken due to a local cause, probably the long-standing compression at the narrow space between clavicle and first rib. It is emphasized to ascertain the position and intactness of an IVAP before using it to infuse cytostatic agents.