CALCIFIED CATHETER CAST - A RARE COMPLICATION OF INDWELLING CENTRAL VENOUS CATHETERS IN INFANTS

Peri-catheter calcification is an unusual and previously unreported co mplication of central venous (CV) catheterization in infants. A 1.9 Fr Silastic CV catheter was placed in a term infant for administration o f total parenteral nutrition and antibiotics following intraabdominal sepsis. The catheter was removed, without complication, at a later dat e after another septic episode. Imaging studies performed in the inves tigation of a possible intraabdominal abscess revealed a cylindrical d ensity within a clot in the inferior vena cava (IVC). The density was presumed to be a retained catheter fragment. Further investigation ind icated total occlusion of the IVC. Surgical exploration of the IVC rev ealed only a calcified thrombus. This case represents a rare and previ ously unreported complication of CV catheterization in infants. Diagno sing this condition on radiographic evidence alone can be difficult. I t is hoped that awareness of the potential for this complication will avoid unnecessary invasive procedures in the future. We also suggest a high level of clinical suspicion and routine Doppler ultrasound inves tigations to detect IVC thrombosis when indwelling CV catheters are us ed in infants.