[Carotid aneurysm following apparent complications in catheterization of the internal jugular vein]

During resuscitation of a patient wih ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm his right internal jugular vein was cannulated with a 12 gauge catheter-through-cannula assembly (Cavafix 458, Braun-Melsungen), using a high central approach, without any apparent complications. Five weeks later a dissecting aneurysm of the right common carotid artery developed. From clinical, angiographic and histological data it is very likely that the aneurysm resulted from the catheterization procedure.