Spontaneous intravenous catheter fracture and embolization from an implanted venous access port and analysis by scanning electron microscopy.

A spontaneous fracture occurred in the midportion of a catheter that was indwelling in the left subclavian vein and embolized to the pulmonary artery. Scanning electron microscopy studies were performed upon the fractured catheter. Possible reasons for the fracture are discussed. Sudden chest pain in a patient with an implanted catheter may be the first clinical manifestation of an embolized catheter.