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Abstract
Although percutaneous vertebroplasty is a relatively safe procedure, cement leakage into the spinal canal and paravertebral veins may occur. Most patients with cement leakage are asymptomatic. However, it can result in spinal cord compression or pulmonary embolism. Cement-induced thrombosis in the inferior vena cava is a very rare complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty, with only few reports in the literature. We report a case of cement leakage-induced thrombosis in the inferior vena cava in a 72-year-old woman, focusing on multidetector CT findings. On contrast-enhanced CT scan, a persistent hypodense filling defect in the opacified lumen of the inferior vena cava combined with a high density cement cast adjacent to the vertebroplasty area were helpful imaging findings in making the diagnosis of bone cement leakage-induced thrombosis in the inferior vena cava.
Figures and Tables
Fig. 1
A 72-year-old woman with polymethylmethacrylate cement-leakage-induced thrombosis in the inferior vena cava (IVC).
A, B. Axial contrast-enhanced CT images show a linear high density lesion (black arrowhead in A) in the IVC at the level of L4 vertebral body, which has continuity with the cement-injected L4 vertebral body through the paravertebral venous plexus (white arrowhead in B).
C. Coronal reformatted image demonstrates long segmental persistent filling defect (long arrow) in the IVC, suggesting thrombosis. The proximal portion of the thrombosis abutting linear high density lesion (white arrowhead) suggests bone cement-leakage-induced thrombosis formation.
D. Inferior vena cavography shows intraluminal filling defect (black arrowhead) in the IVC, suggesting IVC thrombosis, and IVC filter (black arrow) is inserted in the suprarenal IVC to prevent pulmonary embolism.
References
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