Abdominal pain due to a lost guidewire: a case report.

A lost guidewire is a hazardous, yet completely preventable, and rare complication associated with central venous catheter insertion. Here, we report a case of a lost guidewire in a patient presented with persistent abdominal pain. The guidewire was retrieved completely during a surgical operation after the diagnosis had been confirmed by radiologic studies. Following some tips during insertion of a central venous catheter will help to prevent this mortal complication or at least, in rapid diagnosis of its loss. Interventional radiologic techniques are now readily used to retrieve a lost guidewire.