Have Cancer. Removed Picc Line Due To Infection. Now Have Swelling In Neck And Shoulder. Worrisome

Posted on Mon, 27 May 2013

Question: My husband has cancer and had a picc line in hes chest put in he was getting alternative treatment in mexico. After 3 weeks he got and infection at the site. They removed it. Where back in Australia now. He has now swelling in the LH shoulder into hes neck. He had radiation in UK in February to RH pleura area. Is the swelling from the radiation refereed pain or from the picc?

Answered by Dr. Ram Choudhary (27 minutes later)

Hi XXXXXX,
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
PICC lines are long intravenous lines made of plastic materials use for long venous access like in malignancy or other bedridden state requiring long term medication.
They have the risk of infection and thrombus formation.
Rate of thrombosis is multiple in presence of infection.
Your husband in having a deep vein thrombosis that has resulted in odd swelling and pain.
He should undergo a upper limb venous doppler study on the affected side.
Radiotherapy can also cause pain and swelling but is unlikely in his case because the side of radiation should have been affected primarily in that case.
I hope the advise would be helpful for you.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar