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Case Reports
. 2019 Oct 30;14(12):1550-1553.
doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2019.09.034. eCollection 2019 Dec.

Unusual intravascular complication of right internal jugular vein catheter piercing the SVC into the pericardium: Case report

Thangavijayan Bosemani  1 , Muthukumar Sakthivel  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Unusual intravascular complication of right internal jugular vein catheter piercing the SVC into the pericardium: Case report

Thangavijayan Bosemani et al. Radiol Case Rep. .

Abstract

Iatrogenic superior vena cava pericardial fistula caused by central venous catheterization is rare but can lead to life-threatening condition. Despite the potential risk of pericardial effusion causing pericardial tamponade, a conservative watch and wait management strategy can be safely adopted if such procedural complication is encountered. Herein, we present a case of an incidental finding of a central venous catheter perforating the wall of the superior vena cava into the pericardium, which probably occurred during injection of intravenous contrast agent on computed tomography pulmonary angiogram study. .

Keywords: Cardiac Tamponade; Central Venous Catheterization (CVC); Computed tomography (CT); Internal Jugular Vein (IJV); Superior Vena Cava (SVC).

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Chest radiograph demonstrates right internal jugular central venous catheter terminating in the distal SVC.
Fig 2
Fig. 2
CTA chest reveals small amount of contrast in the pulmonary artery and aorta, but a large amount of non-diluted contrast present within the pericardial sac including the recesses.
Fig 3
Fig. 3
Post processed images demonstrate catheter tip terminating in distal SVC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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