CTICasesIatrogenic Pulmonary Artery Perforation and Chest Tube Malposition
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Imaging findings
Initial chest radiographs show a large left-sided pleural effusion. Following attempts at chest tube insertion, the patient developed acute respiratory distress. A portable radiograph demonstrates a chest tube traversing horizontally from lateral to medial across the hemithorax. Multiplanar CT of the chest reveals that the chest tube was passed directly through the lung parenchyma and terminated within the main pulmonary artery.
Key takeaways
Chest tube insertion is a common procedure that can rarely result in catastrophic iatrogenic injuries if the tube is placed too deeply or with excessive force. Placement of a chest tube directly into the pulmonary artery is a life-threatening complication that requires immediate surgical intervention and repair of the pulmonary artery.
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