An unusual cause of respiratory failure in a colon cancer patient

Mol Clin Oncol. 2015 Sep;3(5):1152-1154. doi: 10.3892/mco.2015.608. Epub 2015 Jul 21.

Abstract

Permanent central venous catheters (CVC), such as Port-a-Cath®, Hickmann® or PICC®, are widely used in oncology patients for cancer treatment. Thrombosis is a frequent complication that should be ruled out, as it is associated with potentially severe infection and hemodynamic consequences. This is the case report of a male patient who was undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer. The patient presented with an atrial mass secondary to a CVC-related organized thrombus located inside the atrial cavity. The mass was inducing a massive right-to-left intracardial shunt due to a persistent foramen ovale and signs of respiratory failure that required surgical intervention to remove the intracardial mass.

Keywords: atrial thrombosis; central venous catheter; shunt.