• Bernhard Gebauer, Ulf Karl Teichgräber, Petr Podrabsky, Michael Werk, Enrique Lopez Hänninen, and Roland Felix.
• Department of Radiology, Charité, Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. bernhard.gebauer@charite.de
• Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2007 Jul 1; 30 (4): 668-74.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate radiological-interventional central venous port catheter corrections in migrated/malpositioned catheter tips.Materials And MethodsThirty patients with migrated/malpositioned port catheter tips were included in this retrospective analysis. To visualize the catheter patency a contrast-enhanced port catheter series was performed, followed by transfemoral port catheter correction with various 5-F angiographic catheters (pigtail; Sos Omni), gooseneck snares, or combinations thereof.ResultsOne patient showed spontaneous reposition of the catheter tip. In 27 of 29 patients (93%), radiological-interventional port catheter correction was successful. In two patients port catheter malposition correction was not possible, because of the inability to catch either the catheter tip or the catheter in its course, possibly due to fibrin sheath formation with attachment of the catheter to the vessel wall. No disconnection or port catheter dysfunction was observed after correction.ConclusionsWe conclude that in migrated catheter tips radiological-interventional port catheter correction is a minimally invasive alternative to port extraction and reimplantation. In patients with a fibrin sheath and/or thrombosis port catheter correction is often more challenging.

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