CTICasesMethyl Methacrylate Embolism
Imaging findings
Chest radiograph and skeletal survey show linear, branching hyperdensities projecting over the right hilum and lower chest, mimicking indwelling vascular catheters. There is no history of matching surgical placement, and comparison with other cases shows these represent bone cement (methyl methacrylate) that had migrated into the azygos or inferior vena cava (IVC) systems.
Key takeaways
Methyl methacrylate (bone cement) leakage can occur during vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. The cement can enter the perivertebral venous plexus and embolize to the right heart or pulmonary arteries, where it appears as linear, branching radiopacities that can easily be mistaken for fragmented guide wires or catheters.
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