Nickel Hypersensitivity in Patients with Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Case Report and Literature and MAUDE Database Review

Placement of a prophylactic retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter was requested in a 73-year-old woman with nickel hypersensitivity resulting in a clinical dilemma. Given that all retrievable filters contain nickel, the published literature and the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database were reviewed; no documented case of IVC filter placement in a patient with nickel hypersensitivity or reported hypersensitivity reaction in a patient after IVC filter placement could be identified. This article presents the uneventful course of the case described and a review of the literature and recommendations on use of nickel-containing devices in patients with nickel hypersensitivity.