Endovascular Endocarditis Within the Superior Vena Cava of a Patient With a Tunneled Catheter for Hemodialysis

Tunneled hemodialysis catheters, such as permacaths, are frequently used for vascular access in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The use of these catheters is associated with bloodstream infections, thromboses, and infective endocarditis. While valvular endocarditis is a more common entity, non-valvular endovascular endocarditis is less commonly reported in the literature. Fibrin sheaths which form along the catheter may act as niduses for infection, which can then seed the surrounding tissues. We present a case of infective endovascular endocarditis originating from an infected fibrin sheath in the superior vena cava of an ESRD patient.