Disconnection of a venous Port-A-Cath followed by embolization after saline flush: Rare case report

A 77-year-old man presented with painful swelling of his Port-A-Cath insert ion site soon after flushing with normal saline. No discomfort or abnormali ty was found during the saline flush. A chest roentgenogram showed that the disconnected catheter had separated from the disc and was absent from its original location. The disconnected catheter was found embolized, by chest roentgenogram and CT scan, to the right atrium and hepatic vein. The patien t was treated successfully with an X-ray guided extraction of the catheter. The possibility of catheter disconnection with embolization should be cons idered and a chest roentgenogram performed immediately in cases of rapid sw elling of subcutaneous tissue around the port chamber after fluid infusion.