Inferior Vena Cava Filter Broken and Migrated to Left Ventricle With Destruction of Mitral Valve.

Abstract

Inferior vena cava filters are used for patients with pulmonary embolism or those with risk of embolization. Here we present a case of a 38-year-old man who underwent placement of an inferior vena cava filter because of deep vein thrombosis. The operating arm fractured and embolized to the posteromedial papillary muscle of mitral valve and the posterior inferior wall of the left ventricle through right atrium and atrioventricular septum, leading to large symptomatic mitral and tricuspid insufficiency and pericardial tamponade. Here we report a rare case where the filter migrated to the left ventricle and destroyed the mitral valve.