Lung carcinoma metastasis at the site of central venous access.

Abstract

Tumor metastases rarely are reported in association with central venous catheters. The case reported herein is that of a solid tumor metastasis at the site of a previous indwelling line ipsilateral to a pleural effusion in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer. A review of the literature reveals a single case of intrathoracic malignancy seeding at the site of a central venous catheter. Other investigators are urged to collect information about the development of tumor implants at the site of catheter insertion in patients with cancer and pleural effusions to further define the extent of the problem.