[Venous occlusions distant to the shunt as malfunction factors during hemodialysis].

On 78 patients with dysfunction of haemodialysis vascular access (predominantly poor flow) systematic radiographic evaluation was performed. In all cases arteriography was carried out, followed by venous angiography in patients exhibiting occlusion of the arteriovenous fistula or the graft, respectively. In 11 cases (14%) occlusion or significant stenosis of far proximal venous vessels (axillary and/or subclavian vein) could be detected. It is suggested that consecutive deterioration of central venous runoff may induce or aggravate malfunctioning of the shunt and, moreover, may contribute to recurrent thrombosis of arteriovenous fistulae or grafts.