Migrated Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Strut: A Rare Cause of Chronic Distal Pancreatitis with Likely Malignant Transformation

BACKGROUND Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are indicated for patients with recurrent venous thrombosis despite proper anticoagulation or whenever anticoagulation is contraindicated. IVC filter deployment is an invasive procedure with various complications. One example is IVC filter limb fracture and migration, which is associated with significant morbidity and/or mortality. Extravascular migration toward pancreas may induce pancreatitis. Patients with chronic pancreatitis are known to have an increased risk of pancreatic malignancy. CASE REPORT We report an extremely rare case of IVC filter fractured limb in 44-year-old woman, which had migrated into the pancreatic tail and manifested as chronic distal pancreatitis. A pancreatic adenocarcinoma was found by biopsy at the pancreas tail. It is likely that a foreign body promoted this metaplasia and neoplastic transformation. CONCLUSIONS Early detection and retrieval of a displaced foreign body in organs, such as the pancreas, seem to be essential to reduce risk of subsequent complications, including chronic inflammation and possibly neoplasia.