Right thyrocervical trunk rupture after right internal jugular vein puncture: a case report and systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Thyrocervical trunk rupture is an unusual, but critical, complication associated with central venous catheter (CVC) placement. The management of this complication has not been fully determined because it is rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old Japanese woman with anorexia nervosa developed refractory ventricular fibrillation. After returning spontaneous circulation, a CVC was successfully placed at the initial attempt in the right internal jugular vein using real-time ultrasound guidance. Immediately after CVC placement, she developed enlarging swelling around the neck. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed massive contrast media extravasation around the neck and mediastinum. Brachiocephalic artery angiography showed a “blush” appearance of the ruptured right thyrocervical trunk. After selective arterial embolization with 33% N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate, the extravasation completely disappeared and hemostasis was achieved. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that severe vascular complications arising from CVC placement can occur in patients with a fragile physiological state. Endovascular embolization is an effective treatment for such complications. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40981-022-00565-w.