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

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.