Asymptomatic Distal Catheter Fragment Detachment in a Patient With a Venous Port System: A Case Report

A venous port system consists of a chamber with a silicone membrane on the upper surface, through which intravenous drug infusions, parenteral nutrition, blood sampling, and blood component transfusions are performed using a Huber needle. Pinch-off syndrome (POS), which is the detachment of the distal catheter fragment, is a complication associated with subclavian venous port systems. This article presents a clinical case of asymptomatic POS in a female with left breast cancer. Following the syndrome’s development, the patient remained for over 7 days with a port catheter that had migrated into the right cardiac chambers after detachment. During an attempted infusion via the port system, integrity disruption of the catheter was suspected, followed by swelling in the right subclavian region. Thus, POS is not always accompanied by arrhythmia, palpitations, or other clinical symptoms. The use of interventional technologies allows for effective management of such complications.