[Femoral arterio-venous fistula. A rare complication of right heart catheterization]

Percutaneous central venous catheterization through the femoral vein is frequently used in the Coronary Care Unit. Complications such as thrombophlebitis, thromboembolism and femoral artery puncture are rare. We describe a case of arteriovenous fistula due to femoral vein catheterization in a 61 year old man who was admitted because of advanced atrioventricular block. Auscultation revealed a systodiastolic murmur. Two dimensional and color Doppler flow imaging demonstrated an arteriovenous communication between the superficial femoral artery and common femoral vein without hemodinamic consequences. Two months later, on physical examination and Doppler investigation, the fistula had disappeared.