H. Horimi et al., CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE WITH AN ANATOMIC SNUFF BOX ARTERIOVENOUS-FISTULA IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS, ASAIO journal, 42(3), 1996, pp. 177-180
The present study was performed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of
an anatomical snuff box arteriovenous fistula with special reference
to its short-term and long-term patency in 139 hemodialysis patients.
A snuff box fistula was established in 139 patients, including 39 with
diabetic nephropathy (DN group) and 100 with non diabetic nephropathy
(non DN Group). Fistula blood flow was measured by Doppler ultrasound
in 18 patients. Early and late obstruction was observed in 24 (17%) o
f the 139 patients. The long-term patency rate of the snuff box fistul
a in the non DN group was 87% at 57 months, whereas the patency rate a
t 57 months in the DN group (72%) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower t
han that in the non DN group. The increase in arterialized vein blood
flow in DN patients was less marked than that in the non DN patients.
These results suggest that the high prevalence of late obstruction in
DN patients may partly be reflected by an insufficient increase of art
erialized vein blood flow at the snuff box site.