A Case Report of a Migrated Pelvic Coil Causing Pulmonary Infarct in an Adult Female
Abstract
Introduction: It is possible but rare for a pelvic coil to migrate to the pulmonary vasculature, which can cause cardiac damage, arrhythmias, pulmonary infarct, and thrombophlebitis. The few cases reported typically do not describe removal of the coils, as patients were asymptomatic.
Case report: A 39-year-old female with recent coil embolization of her left internal iliac and ovarian veins for pelvic congestion syndrome presented with one month of right-sided chest pain and dyspnea. Imaging revealed a migrated pelvic coil in the patient’s right main pulmonary artery with pulmonary infarcts and a pleural effusion.
Conclusion: Interventional radiology successfully removed the coil endovascularly, with significant symptom improvement. This prevented a more-invasive open surgical procedure and resolved symptoms without requiring long-term anticoagulation or monitoring.