To the Editor.— Percutaneous femoral vein catheterization is a relatively safe and rapid means of obtaining a blood access route for hemodialysis. 1 It is especially useful in emergency situations or when existing sites for arteriovenous (AV) prosthetic shunts are exhausted. Reported complications include inadvertent puncture of the femoral artery resulting in a periarterial hematoma, 2 femoral vein thrombosis, and retroperitoneal bleeding. 3 To our knowledge, the development of an AV fistula following femoral vein catheterization for hemodialysis has not previously been reported. Report of a Case.— A 29-year-old woman with chronic renal failure secondary to chronic glomerulonephritis underwent a cadaveric renal transplant Jan 15, 1976. Her immediate postoperative course was complicated by two rejection episodes; she was treated with methylprednisolone intravenously. At discharge on Feb 11, 1976, the patient had a serum creatinine value of 1.2 mg/100 ml and was taking 100 mg azathioprine (Imuran) and 30 mg prednisone.
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