Central venous catheter (CVC) rupture is an uncommon but clinically significant complication. We report a case involving a 59-year-old woman with multiple myeloma who experienced CVC rupture following prolonged infusion of undiluted etoposide (VP‑16). The patient received continuous VP‑16 infusion through a polyurethane double-lumen catheter and subsequently developed puncture-site pain, local oozing, and catheter malfunction. Radiography did not initially demonstrate catheter displacement or breakage. After multidisciplinary evaluation, the catheter was removed, revealing a longitudinal intraluminal crack with inward-concave deformity and brittle fragmentation. A small adherent intraluminal clot causing catheter occlusion was identified, and subsequent ultrasound confirmed catheter-related venous thrombosis of the internal jugular vein. The patient recovered following anticoagulation therapy. This case highlights solvent-induced degradation of polyurethane catheters by undiluted VP‑16 and underscores the importance of selecting appropriate catheter materials and monitoring for early signs of catheter damage.
Lei et al. (Thu,) studied this question.