Bird's Nest Inferior Vena Cava Filter Thrombosis

KY Lau, JKW Chan, SW Pang, DJ Roebuck, LTH Tan

Hong Kong J Radiol 2002;5:35-8

We describe the case of a patient who died approximately 3 months after having had a jugular Bird’s nest inferior vena cava filter placed for prophylaxis of pulmonary embolism. Postmortem examination revealed inferior vena cava filter thrombus and thromboembolic occlusion of the right main pulmonary artery. Referring clinicians and radiologists should be aware of this potentially fatal complication of filter placement, and in selected cases, regular assessment of caval patency after filter placement may be appropriate.