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A calcified central venous fibrin sheath mimicking a fractured catheter
Author(s) -
Roy Debajyoti,
Wenxiang Yeon,
Pande Shrikant D.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
seminars in dialysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1525-139X
pISSN - 0894-0959
DOI - 10.1111/sdi.12887
Subject(s) - medicine , central venous catheter , fibrin , catheter , vein , complication , radiology , surgery , differential diagnosis , pathology , immunology
A 75‐year‐old female with end stage kidney failure had her tunneled central venous dialysis catheter (CVC) removed. A subsequent computed tomopgraphy (CT) scan of the chest reported a filling defect in the central vein that appeared to represent a fractured remnant of the CVC. The catheter had been retained for culture and was available for direct visualization, which showed it to be entirely intact. A subsequent venogram confirmed that the CT findings represented a retained calcified central venous fibrin sheath. As retained CVC fragments may require intervention, this diagnosis should be established carefully. A calcified fibrin sheath associated with a chronic CVC is a known, although rare, complication and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an apparent CVC fracture prior to further interventions.