Mediastinal perforation and contralateral hemothorax by a chest tube

Tube thoracostomy is an invasive and common procedure that is often life-saving, but by no means innocuous. We describe herein a case of chest trauma in which the chest tube crossed through the mediastinum between aorta and esophagus and penetrated the contralateral pleural cavity causing mild hemothorax. A literature search has failed to identify a similar case: the misplacement was detected in a control radiograph which led to early adjustment of the tube and no sequalae.