Management of a malpositioned central venous catheter in the accessory hemiazygos vein.

Malposition of a central venous catheter (CVC) in the accessory hemiazygos vein is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication; however, there is limited information regarding the preferred removal technique. We report a patient, a 57-year-old woman, who presented with overdose of her prescribed sedatives, who experienced this catheter complication after CVC insertion in the left internal jugular vein. The CVC was placed without resistance but routine postplacement chest X-ray showed abnormal coursing of the catheter close to the descending aorta. We used non-enhanced CT as an adjunct to safely identify the catheter position and assess for any bleeding during removal. CT images taken after retraction of the catheter tip by 10 cm showed no bleeding and we were able to remove the catheter safely. We recommend using CT as an adjunct to safely remove malpositioned catheters and reduce the risk of further complication.