Central venous catheter thrombosis as a cause of SVC obstruction and cardiac tamponade in a patient with Diamond-Blackfan anemia and iron overload.
Cardiac tamponade is an infrequent but potentially lethal complication related to use of central venous catheters (CVC). We present the case of a 16-year-old female with Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) who developed pericardial tamponade secondary to superior venous caval obstruction caused by CVC thrombosis. The patient presented 3 months after line placement with vomiting, abdominal pain, and cardiomegaly on chest X-ray (CXR). Her condition quickly decompensated with cardiac arrest and subsequent death despite immediate pericardiocentesis. As a result of this case, our center has developed a protocol for the management of CVC problems as a means of facilitating rapid recognition of central line clots.
Norris
Mark L
ML
Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Klaassen
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D029503:Anemia, Diamond-Blackfan / Q000628:therapy*; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000628:therapy*; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D013927:Thrombosis