Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is associated with va
rious problems, including damage to the CAPD catheter. We encountered
catheter rupture around the titanium adaptor in a patient who had been
on CAPD for 7 years. The area near the adaptor generally suffers dama
ge secondary to deterioration of the silicon composing the catheter. H
owever, stereoscopic and electron microscopic observation of the surfa
ce of the catheter revealed no deterioration. Instead, there were fine
scratches around the site of rupture and the broken surface was rough
. Since the patient did not protect the catheter with gauze near the t
itanium adaptor, it was probably damaged by the adaptor and then ruptu
red by some external force.