An Unusual Complication of an Infected Hemodialysis Graft: Dermal Erosion and Protrusion of a Polytetrafluoroethylene Vascular Prosthesis: Case Report

Prosthetic arteriovenous grafts are used in chronic hemodialysis patients when autogenous arteriovenous fistulas fail, or in case of inconvenient vascular status. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts are commonly used for this purpose. Graft thrombosis and infection are frequently encountered in those prosthetic grafts. Those complications cause vascular access failure, and may interrupt routine maintenance of hemodialysis process. Graft infection may progress to more serious morbidities such as bacteremia and sepsis. In this paper, we report an uncommon presentation of an infected PTFE graft that protruded outside the skin.