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Aneurysmal Arteriovenous Fistula

Kim Sinnamon, M.B., and Robert Mullan, M.D.

N Engl J Med 2007; 357:e16October 11, 2007

Article

A 50-year-old man had a 30-year history of end-stage renal disease associated with idiopathic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. His medical history included immune thrombocytopenic purpura, with platelet counts that were persistently less than 15,000 per cubic millimeter. After a second renal transplant failed 8 years ago, the patient began to undergo dialysis through a left brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistula, which became severely aneurysmal over the next 6 years (Panel A), with no evidence of a proximal venous stenosis. There was no evidence of complications — such as infection, embolism, rupture, or high-output congestive heart failure — from this aneurysmal arteriovenous fistula. The patient underwent an elective resection of the arteriovenous fistula, owing to the possibility of life-threatening hemorrhage if the fistula continued to increase in size. The surgical result was satisfactory (Panel B). A subsequent arteriovenous fistula was created in his contralateral arm, progressed in a similar manner over the next 18 months, and also required surgical resection. For the past 12 months, the patient has undergone hemodialysis through a third arteriovenous fistula that is currently nonaneurysmal.

Kim Sinnamon, M.B.
Robert Mullan, M.D.
Antrim Area Hospital, Antrim BT41 2RL, Northern Ireland

Citing Articles (2)

Citing Articles

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    Hung-Jen Hsieh, Kun-Han Lue, Chih-Hao K. Kao, Yung-Hsiang Hsu, Ming-Chien Liu, Pan-Fu Kao. (2009) Portosystemic Collateral Circulation. Clinical Nuclear Medicine 34:12, 958-959
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  2. 2

    Serge Ferrari, Ego Seeman, Gordon J Strewler. (2007) Clinical and basic research papers – August 2007 selections. BoneKEy-Osteovision 4:9, 231-235
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