Thrombus on indwelling central venous catheters: the histopathology of "Fibrin sheaths".
OBJECTIVE
Central venous catheters (CVC) may fail for many reasons, though "fibrin sheaths" blocking catheter ports are usually implicated. We examined the sheaths removed from dialysis catheters to determine their histopathology.


METHODS
Ten catheter strippings were performed and the removed material was studied grossly and microscopically.


RESULTS
The histologic specimens showed thrombus both with and without a proteinaceous sheath.


CONCLUSIONS
Dialysis catheters fail because of thrombus formation. This can occur in either the absence or presence of a protein coating on the catheter, the so-called "fibrin sheath."
Suojanen
J N
JN
Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1 Deaconess Road, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Brophy
D P
DP
Nasser
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000628:therapy; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000295:instrumentation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*
D005337:Fibrin