Hickman catheter

Hickman catheters are a form of tunnelled central venous catheter that are for long term use, typically for chemotherapy. These lines are inserted by creating a tunnel in the chest wall through which the catheter is threaded, following which it is advanced into either the internal jugular or subclavian vein. The ‘bump’ on the catheter indicated by the yellow arrow here, and also visible on the CXR, is a cuff that is located on the tunnelled portion of the catheter that promotes tissue ingrowth and thus helps prevent the catheter from becoming dislodged. The cuff also provides a physical barrier to the spread of infection from the skin along the catheter.