Perforation of the superior vena cava by a tunnel-cuffed hemodialysis catheter via the right internal jugular vein in an elderly woman

Oliguric patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) often requires an internal jugular vein or femoral venous catheter to establish vascular access for emergency hemodialysis. Puncture with catheterization (PC) of the right internal jugular vein (RIJV) is relatively simple and is often the first choice for hemodialysis catheters insertion. However, complications such as bleeding and hematoma at the puncture site can occur, and in rare cases, the hemodialysis catheter (HDC) can be misplaced into the internal carotid artery, subclavian artery, subclavian vein, or even the thoracic cavity and mediastinum, leading to intractability for processing next. In this study, we report a case of an elderly female patient with AKI who underwent RIJV puncture for long-term HDC because her renal function had not recovered in the short term, and the lower end of the catheter penetrated the superior vena cava (SVC) into the mediastinum due to operator’s carelessness. We did not perform open surgery or endovascular interventions, and instead, the HDC was retained in that place for four weeks and then directly removed without surgery. The patient did not experience any problems, such as bleeding or hematoma, and has been receiving hemodialysis from femoral catheter subsequently since then.