Unusual migration in abdomen of a wire for surgical localization of breast lesions

Abstract

We report a case of migration of a surgical localization wire from the breast to the abdomen. A 41‐year‐old female underwent presurgical needle localization of a deep‐sited left‐sided breast lesion. Migration of the localization wire in the chest wall occurred during the procedure documented by imaging. Computed tomography (CT) examination showed no evidence of the wire in the left lower lung field, no peritoneal free fluid, active bleeding, or abnormalities of abdominal organ, but a metallic‐density representing the localization wire was seen for a length of 13 cm from the right diaphragmatic crus to the right psoas muscle, close to the inferior vena cava. A following CT examination showed the wire partially outside the inferior vena cava and partially inside the right iliac vein. The wire was successfully taken out by an angiographic interventional procedure.