Diagnostic Value of Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonography for Catheter‐Related Right Brachiocephalic Vein and Superior Vena Cava Lesions in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis—A Pilot Study

Objectives To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for detecting catheter‐related right brachiocephalic vein (RBV) and superior vena cava (SVC) obstructions in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Methods From June 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022, we enrolled 80 patients undergoing HD who had used or were using a central venous catheter as vascular access. We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of conventional ultrasonography and CEUS for identifying RBV and SVC obstructions and compared them with that of digital subtraction angiography (DSA). In the stratified analysis, the SVC was divided into the upper and lower segments. In total, we analyzed 240 central venous segments, including the RBV. Results Among the RBV and SVC visualized by DSA, conventional ultrasonography and CEUS could visualize 67.92 and 100% of the vein segments, respectively; however, the lengths and diameters of the RBV and SVC were smaller than those recorded with DSA ( P < .001). The diagnostic efficacy of CEUS for detecting catheter‐related central venous obstruction was better than that of conventional ultrasonography, with a higher sensitivity (83.95 vs 41.98%), specificity (89.94 vs 53.46%), accuracy (87.92 vs 49.58%), and F1 score (82.42 vs 49.64%). CEUS showed good agreement ( κ = 0.732) with DSA. In the stratified analyses, CEUS also showed higher sensitivity (83.93, 83.33, and 84.62%, respectively) and better agreement with DSA ( κ = 0.635, 0.655, and 0.673, respectively) than conventional ultrasonography for detecting the RBV and the upper and lower segments of the SVC. Conclusions CEUS had high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing catheter‐related RBV and SVC obstructions.