A systematic review of symptomatic duodenal perforation by inferior vena cava filters

Objective: A systematic review of the literature on symptomatic duodenal perforation caused by inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. Methods: Three databases, PubMed MEDLINE, Web of Sciences, and Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciecircncias da Sade (LILACS), reference lists of review articles and conference proceedings were searched. All articles containing data on clinical presentation, diagnostic strategy, and available treatment of symptomatic duodenal perforation caused by an IVC filter were included regardless of design, language, size, or length of follow-up. Results: Seventy-two articles were selected for full-text screening, being 21 case reports were selected. The median age was 46 years old (range, 21-83 years old). Abdominal pain was reported in 11 patients and gastrointestinal bleed in 5 patients. The indications for IVC filter placement in this cohort of patients were contraindication of anticoagulation and recurrent pulmonary embolism (PE) despite therapeutic levels in 8 and 5 patients, respectively. Three different imaging modalities were obtained in 9 patients (43%) before confirming the diagnosis. All but 1 patient underwent open approach through laparotomy with or without removal of the filter. No PEs or deaths were reported and only 1 patient had a severe clinical complication of IVC and bilateral iliac vein thrombosis with massive lower extremities edema. Conclusions: Duodenal perforation caused by IVC filters is a rare complication that frequently requires extensive workup. Excellent outcomes with low complication rate have been reported in cases where an open procedure was performed with either extraction of the filter or removal of the offending struts.