IVC filter migration causing discitis, psoas abscess and hydronephrosis: improving IVC filter retrieval rates

We discuss the complications associated with inferior vena cava (IVC) filters, focusing on a female patient in her mid-30s who presented to the emergency department with a history of hypercoagulable state and recurrent deep vein thrombosis. She had an IVC filter placed, followed by an IVC stent years later. The patient presented with severe lower back pain radiating to her right leg and back spasms. Investigations revealed an IVC filter tine extruding into the L3–L4 disc space, causing discitis-osteomyelitis, an intraosseous abscess and a psoas abscess. Another tine caused mild hydronephrosis by abutting the ureter. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from a disc aspirate. After initial antibiotic treatment, her spinal instability worsened, necessitating complex spinal surgery to remove three filter tines. This case highlights the significant risks of IVC filters, including fracture and organ perforation, and emphasises the critical importance of timely filter removal to prevent serious, though sometimes rare, outcomes.