An “earthworm” in the superior vena cava and right atrium

Excerpt

A 81-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, diabetes and diabetic nephropathy was admitted to the emergency department with no obvious discomfort. The patient had been earlier diagnosed with uremia, and 2 weeks previously she had been started on hemodialysis through an intravenous duct under the collarbone. Eighteen hours prior to present admission, she suspected that the indwelling intravenous duct under the collarbone had been cut off. The residual catheter was suspected to be still in her body. A chest X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan was performed (Fig. 1); both indicated that there was foreign body material in the superior vena cava and right atrium, supporting the diagnosis. The patient underwent emergency endovascular technique through femoral venous puncture. The residual catheter was removed successfully (Fig. 1).

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