Salmonella infection of an unused fistula

When Salmonella seeds a vascular structure, it is more frequently associated with mycotic aneurysms of the aorta rather than infected fistulas. A 50-year-old female presented with an infection of her unused arteriovenous fistula. A computed tomography scan of the upper extremity demonstrated dilation of the fistula and signs consistent with a necrotizing soft tissue infection. She underwent an excision of the left upper extremity arteriovenous fistula that was found to have a Salmonella infection. Current data suggests that excision of unused fistulas is safe and should be performed if the patient is symptomatic before the development of infection.