Catheter Perforation of the Right Ventricle

ALTHOUGH the central venous catheter has proved to be an important diagnostic and therapeutic adjunct in the management of congestive heart failure, shock and other hemodynamic disorders, multiple reports have appeared emphasizing complications associated with its use. Specifically, complications of atrial and ventricular perforation by catheters have been documented.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brandt et al. demonstrated the mechanism of perforation of the heart by a venous catheter by presenting three cases indicating that perforation had occurred during manipulation of the patient.8 The cases presented below suggest that ventricular perforation may be a specific complication of endoscopic procedures in patients with central venous catheters . . .