[Unusual faulty placement of an internal jugular catheter]

A catheter had been placed, by the Seldinger technique, into the left internal jugular vein of a 29-year-old man requiring intensive care. Routine radiological check of its position using contrast medium (Conray) revealed its tip to be in the pericardial vein. This malposition is facilitated by the course of the venous system in the region of the left brachiocephalic vein.