Plasma cell neoplasm as a risk factor for early thrombosis of arteriovenous fistula

We hypothesized that presence of plasma cell neoplasms might be a risk for thrombosis of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) as well as other well-known factors including age, sex, race, and presence of diabetes mellitus or certain vascular disorders.

In this single-center, retrospective study based on medical record data, we investigated the influence of plasma cell neoplasms and the above-mentioned factors on the occurrence of complete occlusive thrombosis of the AVF within 30 days after surgery for creation of the AVF. Thrombosis was defined as the absence of bruit or thrill on auscultation and palpation, throughout systole and diastole.

We retrospectively assessed the medical records of 91 patients with end-stage renal failure, including 8 patients with plasma cell neoplasm (5 with multiple myeloma and 3 with amyloid light-chain amyloidosis), who underwent surgical creation of an AVF at the wrist or anatomical snuff box for the first time between April 2014 and December 2016. Early thrombosis (i.e., within 30 days of surgery) occurred in 50.0% (4/8) and 10.8% (9/83) of patients with and without plasma cell neoplasm, respectively (P = 0.013). Multivariate analysis revealed that, after adjusting for baseline characteristics, plasma cell neoplasm was the only significant risk factor for early AVF thrombosis (odds ratio, 38.8; 95% confidence interval, 4.0-378.9; P = 0.0017).

Considering the poor prognosis of plasma cell neoplasm and its association with higher risk for AVF thrombosis, another type of vascular access is likely to be more suitable than AVF in such patients.