Anatomy Revisited: Hemodialysis Catheter Malposition into the Chest

Abstract

In most situations, central catheters are implanted in the right jugular vein as initial access for hemodialysis. However, after repeated punctures, the proximal vessels become stenosed and thrombosed and misplacement is likely to occur. Correct catheter position in the vein can be easily ascertained with X-ray or cross-sectional CT imaging. In this report, we describe the case of a 77-year-old patient on chronic hemodialysis via catheter due to arteriovenous fistula dysfunction. We placed a cuffed-tunneled hemodialysis catheter in the left internal jugular vein. Malpositioning of the catheter led to perforation of the great veins and migration of the catheter tip into the chest. It is important to be aware of the risk of potential incorrect positioning of dialysis catheters. Due to the stenosis and fragility of the vessel wall, perforation may occur. In cases of doubt, correct placement of large-bore catheters via the internal jugular vein should be verified by means of appropriate imaging before hemodialysis is performed.