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Updated: May 25, 2026

Hickman Catheter Use for Long-Term Vascular Access in a Preclinical Swine Model
Published on: March 31, 2023
Black hole on film following catheter insertion
Hsuan-Wei Chen1, Jin-Shuen Chen
1Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, China.
Insights
A misplaced double lumen catheter (DLC) in a hemodialysis patient
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Radiology
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Vascular access is crucial for hemodialysis (HD).
- Double lumen catheters (DLCs) are temporary vascular access devices.
- Complications can arise from improper DLC insertion and placement.
Observation:
- A cirrhotic patient undergoing HD had a DLC inserted via the left femoral vein.
- An incidental imaging finding revealed an unusual DLC position, suggesting iliac vessel perforation.
- Venography confirmed the DLC was positioned within the dilated left gonadal vein.
Findings:
- The DLC in the left gonadal vein was functional for hemodialysis.
- Portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients can cause collateral vessel formation and gonadal vein dilation.
- This anatomical variation, while benign, can mimic serious complications on imaging.
Implications:
- Accurate interpretation of imaging is vital to avoid misdiagnosis of vascular injury.
- Understanding anatomical variations in cirrhotic patients is important for safe vascular access procedures.
- This case highlights the need for careful radiological assessment in patients with portal hypertension.
Abstract:
Vascular accesses both permanent and temporary play an essential role in the procedure of hemodialysis (HD). The double lumen catheter (DLC) is one form of temporal vascular access which may produce different complications based on where the DLC is inserted. Here, we report a case of a cirrhotic patient receiving HD. The DLC was inserted through the left femoral vein. Later on, an unusual catheter position, mimicking a perforation in the iliac vessel, was noted in the incidental image finding. After venography, we concluded that this DLC had entered the dilated left gonadal vein, and was working well. This condition may be explained by portal hypertension leading to increased frequency of collateral branches and easy dilatation of the left gonadal vein. This condition may develop in a cirrhotic patient with portal hypertension, but there is no harm to a patient. However, this condition leads to an interesting computed tomography image, which may result in misinterpretation of the imaging reports and a clinical misdiagnosis.
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