Hemodialysis Catheter-Related Thrombi: A Challenging Patient

Abstract

Patients requiring renal replacement therapy remain a significant burden on the healthcare system. A substantial amount of hospitalization costs for these patients are related to vascular complications, especially catheter-related thrombosis, which is associated with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. We report the case of a male patient with multiple myeloma (MM) and dialysis-dependent renal failure due to light-chain cast nephropathy, who presented recurrent early catheter dysfunction. A large thrombus was detected, extending from the superior vena cava (SVC) to the right atrium (RA) and later at the inferior vena cava (IVC), ultimately leading to exhaustion of vascular capital. To this date, there is limited evidence regarding the best approach to catheter-related thrombosis, which frequently leads to treatment dilemmas in clinical practice and demands careful evaluation and individualized decisions. In patients with a highly thrombotic profile, peritoneal dialysis may be considered earlier to prevent further vascular capital damage.