CAPD catheter rupture without deterioration

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is associated with various problems, including damage to the CAPD catheter. We encountered catheter rupture around the titanium adaptor in a patient who had been on CAPD for 7 years. The area near the adaptor generally suffers damage secondary to deterioration of the silicon composing the catheter. However, stereoscopic and electron microscopic observation of the surface of the catheter revealed no deterioration. Instead, there were fine scratches around the site of rupture and the broken surface was rough. Since the patient did not protect the catheter with gauze near the titanium adaptor, it was probably damaged by the adaptor and then ruptured by some external force. (Int J Artif Organs 1998; 21:95–6)