Spontaneous Migration of Long-Term Indwelling Venous Catheter: Case Report

Long-term central venous catheters are important in patients with cancer and other debilitating diseases. Although there are early and late complications, with an overall rate of approximately 13%, migration of a central venous catheter is rare. In this case report, we report migration of a Hickman"s catheter into the internal jugular vein, 25 days after satisfactory initial placement. The Hickman"s catheter was then removed and repositioned properly under scopy using guidewire. Periodic monitoring of catheter position with chest radiography can enable detection of migration early, interventional repositioning before thrombosis develops, and treatment to be made appropriately.