Pulmonary embolism following successful thrombectomy of an arteriovenous dialysis fistula.
A hemodialysis patient was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, shortly after successful thrombectomy of an autogenous arteriovenous fistula. Diagnostic testing revealed no alternative source for thromboembolism. Increased recognition of hypercoagulability as a common consequence of end-stage renal disease would suggest that dialysis patients would be at risk for thromboembolic events. A fully developed dialysis fistula may have sufficient luminal diameter to harbor subclinical or clinically significant venous thrombi. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of venous emboli after fistula manipulation.
Grebenyuk
L A
LA
Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, West Penn Allegheny Health System, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. liliya_grb@yahoo.com
Marcus
R J
RJ
Nahum
E
E
Spero
Ja
J
Srinivasa
N S
NS
McGill
R L
RL