Foreign bodies in small arteries after use of an infusion microcatheter.

Over a 31-month period, we performed four neurointerventional procedures after which unexpected foreign bodies were noted in multiple arteries. All four procedures had in common the use of Fastracker-18 infusion microcatheters. Histologically, the intravascular debris looked strikingly similar to the hydrophilic coating on the catheter. An in vitro test mimicking clinical use of the microcatheter revealed that the hydrophilic coating can separate from the catheter. Until the coating is refined to make it more resistant to stripping, it may be advisable to reduce the amount of back-and-forth movement of these microcatheters if they have been positioned through guide catheters with small inner diameters and angled tips.